By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari attacked the opposition in a fiery speech on Wednesday stating that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers lecture about the “rule of law” on one hand while “inviting interference” on the other.
Addressing the National Assembly session, Bilawal referred to President Zardari’s speech as “short and sweet” and stated that the president’s words were neither “political nor personal”.
He added that the president advocated for dialogue, deeming “dialogue as the only solution to problems”. Bilawal also stated that the president established Pakistan’s policy regarding Kashmir and Palestine “categorically.” Taking a dig at the opposition, the PPP chairman alleged that the opposition should look at themselves as elected candidates; “they cannot look beyond themselves”. The former foreign minister urged the opposition to seek solutions for the nation’s problems instead of focusing on their personal issues, alleging that the opposition has forgotten that they represent the nation.
He said, according to them, they are fighting for the “rule of law,” but surprisingly will not talk to any elected representatives but only to the establishment. “They are not interested in democracy, nor the rule of law, only in their personal issues.” “It is the politics of hypocrisy,” he added. He further criticised the opposition, “Protests are their democratic right; however, working for the nation’s welfare should be their priority.”
Referring to the upcoming budget, Bilawal said the government and opposition both should “play their part” in the budget. Referring to the Sindh government’s work in healthcare as a “historic success,” Bilawal claimed that people from all provinces travel to Sindh for treatment.
The PPP chairman also stated that the Sindh government has targeted the structural issues in the education department. He talked about the issue of “ghost teachers” and explained that through the introduction of a biometric system, the issue was largely taken care of.
Referring to protests in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Bilawal noted the prime minister’s intervention and said that he was thankful for the prime minister’s allocation of funds towards Kashmiris as it was their rightful demand.
Bilawal also talked about the wheat scandal, urging the premier to probe the matter. “Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy.”
The PPP chairman suggested that instead of spending billions on subsidies, the government should incentivize farmers through a kisan card and noted that the agriculture sector is struggling due to inconsistent policies and “political” decisions.
He urged the government to impose an “agriculture emergency” as a 10-year policy. The PPP chairman further urged the government to remove restrictions on exports.
