PTI needs to apologise if it seeks reconciliation: Bilawal

SUKKUR: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday said that in order to seek reconciliation the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership should admit its mistakes and apologise.

Addressing a press conference in Sukkur. Bilawal said: “We do not want someone to be imposed upon us for the fourth time, and we also do not want some player to impose a Buzdar again.”

He asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to immediately remove members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) from the government.

He said that the huge participation of people in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on December 27 has proved that they are with the PPP.

He said that the PPP has started its election campaign from Garhi Khuda Bakhsh and people would give a big surprise on February 08.

Bilawal said that he will fulfill his promise which he announced in the party’s 2024 election manifesto and said that the mill owners were receiving Rs1,500 billion rupees every year in the form of various subsidies, adding that now the amount would be directly transferred to the poor farmers and workers.

The incoming PPP government would start working on its 10-point agenda to end inflation, unemployment and poverty from the first day of its establishment.

He said that the PPP was the only party in the country, which has a people-friendly manifesto. He said that the biggest problems of Pakistan were poverty, unemployment and inflation.

He said that the PPP wanted to work for the whole country in education, health and social security sectors.

The PPP chairman said that his party believed in empowering women.

If the people gave them a chance in the upcoming elections, the PPP government would take steps to double the salaries during its five-year term, he said.

He said that district-level green energy parks will be established and up to 300 units of free electricity will be provided to the deserving class. He said that the supply of solar electricity to the poor citizens of the country would be developed on the lines of the carbon credit programme.

He said that three million houses will be given to the homeless citizens of the country and they will be given ownership rights of plots.

He also reiterated to expand Benazir Income Support Programme.

He once again promised the farmers and laborers across the country that the incoming PPP government would issue Kisan Card and Mazdoor Card to provide financial support to the needy workers.

Youth centres would be established at the division level to financially support educated unemployed youth, he said, adding that that the PPP government would also restore the hunger relief programme in its original form.

In response to a question, the PPP chairman denied any incident of snatching nomination papers in Sukkur and Larkana saying that authorities should take notice of such incident where it happened as no one can be stopped from contesting elections.

Bilawal said that they were not afraid of the election, rather they would fully participate in the democratic process to get the people’s mandate.

In response to a question, he said that apart from building motorways and metros, there should be other works in the country. The PPP has provided free treatment facilities in Sindh.

He said that Imran Khan had announced to build 50 lakh houses, but did not arrange funds for it.

He said that I have decided to contest the election from Lahore. The people of Lahore should have a choice. “The poor people of Lahore are abandoned at the moment. In Lahore, we will compete and will win.”

Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that PPP dids not believe in political revenge, adding that when former president Asif Ali Zardari and PPP leader Faryal Talpur were arrested, the then foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the ‘institutions are free’ to make their decisions.

He said PTI should admit its mistakes and repent adding that he condemned the arrest of the Shah Mahamood Qureshi.

Former Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah, PPP senior leader Syed Khursheed Shah and others were also present on this occasion.

Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians President Asif Ali Zardari, his daughter Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s daughter Sanam Bhutto visited Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.

They recited fateha and laid flowers wreaths at the shrines of Shadeed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto, Mir Shahnawaz Bhutto and Mir Murtaza Bhutto.