PPP has seen Zia, Musharraf’s jails: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Thursday that the PPP have seen jails and our party leaders were imprisoned during Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf's tenure and they are ready to go to prison during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s term.

"We served sentences during Zia and Musharraf's time and are ready to do so in Prime Minister Imran Khan’s term as well,” he said. He rejected the mini-budget of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government and said that it’s not a mini-budget but a mini-drama that only benefits the non-filers and ATMs of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“The mini-budget seems lack of any economic programme and it only raises unemployment in the country while the relief for the non-filers appears to be scandalous,” he said while talking to newsmen outside the Parliament House on Thursday along with former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, PPPP Secretary General Farhatullah Babar and Senator Mustafa Kokhar.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said rather than giving any programme to the people, the government was busy in auctioning of the buffaloes and vehicles in the Prime Minister House.

“The auctions of buffaloes and vehicles have become a joke,” he said. He said there was a need to compare the amount generated [by the austerity drive] and the money spent on advertising it and everything will be clear then.“

Lashing out at the PTI government, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said this is a ‘selected government with a selected prime minister and selected ministers. “Khan sahib now neither a cricketer nor a politician but a “Selected Prime Minister’ and now he has to make a decisions as a prime minister not as a dictator,” he said. The PPP chairman said Finance Minister Asad Umer needs to tell people how he plans to overcome the deficit of Rs13 billion. “I thought Asad Umar would approve a pro-people budget to provide them relief but unfortunately, the mini-budget has only benefited the rich,” he said. He also regretted that the increase in gas and electricity prices is adversely affecting the poor.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the PTI had promised to expand the tax net when it comes into the government but in the mini-budget they did not come with any programme. “The PTI used to make tall claims but when comes into reality, they failed to bring any programme for the people,” he said. Speaking on the freedom of press, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) issued a statement saying that the federal information minister wants to make provincial ministers subservient to him. “I stand by APNS statement,” he said.

He said that journalists in the country are being tried for treason and the media is constantly working in fear. ”Freedom of expression and freedom of the press are pillars of democracy as without them, only a sham democracy exists,” he said.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said this issue should be taken seriously and Prime Minister Imran Khan should respect freedom of the press and guarantee it as if there was no free press in the country, Imran Khan could not be prime minister.

In reply to a question, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee should be from opposition. ‘In our tenure, we have given the chairmanship of PAC to Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to make the accountability of the government of the day but now the government that comes with the slogan of the change was running away from the accountability.” He said.

He said the PTI government was only focusing the propaganda rather than delivering. “The PTI is in the government and delivering is its responsibility,” he said. The PPP chairman said despite having reservations about the budget, the reduction in the prices of the medical equipment is an appreciable step.

To a question regarding the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the CPEC is a golden opportunity for Pakistan but the ministers have given irresponsible statements on the CPEC. “The government should have talked China directly if it has any issues on any project rather than making irresponsible statements,” he said.

He said the statements of the ministers on the CPEC are insult not only to allies but also to friends of Pakistan. “The government yet not tell what it has get from Saudi Arab,” he said. In reply to yet another question, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the PPP has an ideology differences with the PTI and PML-N. “The PPP will do the joint opposition with the PML-N on issue to issue basis,” he said.

To a question about his meeting with opposition leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said at was held in the lobby. But he restricted himself with sharing the details of the meeting with Shahbaz Sharif.