—— Says old politicians intend to settle personal scores after forming govt
—— Adds PDM’s politics didn’t let PPP’s targets be fulfilled
From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari Wednesday said that the reason behind the failure of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led coalition government was “vengeful politics” as the former ruling parties had no focus on serving the public.
Addressing a PPP workers convention in Chitral, the young politician said that the ways of old politicians would add to the nation’s sufferings. “They intend to settle personal scores after forming the government. They want to pursue revenge politics by coming into power,” he said.
This is the reason, he added, that all the targets his party had set for the coalition government were not fulfilled.
In the run-up to the elections slated to take place on February 8 next year, Bilawal has begun his campaign to woo the public with PPP organising rallies and gathering with workers and supporters across the country.
In his bid to emerge victorious in the 2024 general polls, the young politician is not leaving any opportunity to target his opponents — including the leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). “I am not contesting elections on promises and slogans, but on the basis of my performance. I am contesting elections on the basis of what we have done in Sindh,” he said, addressing party supporters in Chitral.
Bilawal claimed to have plans and experience, given his 16-month-long stint as the country’s foreign minister. The young politicians said youth is demanding to do away with old politicians.
“Old politicians should leave politics, sit at home or pray in a madrasa,” he added, asking the veterans to take a back seat in politics to make way for the younger generation of politicos.
Bilawal then went on to ask the audience of his rally about the ages when PML-N supremo was chief minister for the first time and when Benazir Bhutto, his own mother and former prime minister, was elected as the country’s premier.
“70% of Pakistan’s population is young, how much work can old politicians do?” he said, insisting that they don’t think about the future. The former foreign minister said he doesn’t object to old politicians but to their outdated ways of politics. “The country has been damaged by the 70-year-old politics of the old politicians,” he maintained.
Bilawal shared his wish to see a PPP jiyala become the country’s prime minister. “I want the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government more than the [office] of the prime minister,” he said, insisting that his party would be better able to govern the country and provinces altogether.
The ex-federal minister said his party’s manifesto contains the solutions to all the problems in the country, including inflation. He insisted that people received employment in every ear of the PPP.
Bilawal said he fears the problems in Pakistan would increase given the direction it is heading. He vowed to complete his mother’s unfinished mission with the support of people. The politician told PPP workers and supporters at the Chitral rally that he will ask his sister, Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari to contest elections from the party’s seat in the city. “I will convince Asifa to contest the election from the Chitral seat,” he said.
