Bilawal blames PMLN, PTI for ‘politics of hate’

PESHAWAR/ ISLAMABAD: Intensifying his tirade against his rivals, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Saturday the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) promoted the politics of hatred and divisiveness in the country. “They have turned political differences into personal enmity,” he said while addressing a gathering here.

The PPP leader said the divisiveness had affected the economy, society and would have a negative impact on the future generation. The old-school politicians wanted to push the country into the politics of 1990s and claimed that he wanted to take the country into 2024.

Bilawal Bhutto said the world failed to defeat the terrorists in Afghanistan but Pakistan defeated them with the support of its people and security forces. “The threat of terrorism is resurging while at the same time society is facing a crisis-like situation,” he added.

He said that former prime minister Imran Khan would claim that he would not give NRO to anyone but “is now eager to talk to anyone to get NRO for himself.” He said that Pakistan’s politics did not start in April 2022, saying that his party had also faced excesses and was not provided a level playing field in the past.

Separately, PPP Chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari accepted the challenge of PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif saying he was ready to invite Nawaz Sharif to Sindh for inspection and debate. “Mian Nawaz Sharif [is invited for a] debate with me in Khairpur Gumbat, where the hospital is better than any hospital in Punjab,” he said while reply to Shehbaz Sharif on social media platform X.

He said the treatment at Gumbat Hospital is completely free and Mian Sahib had not visited Gumbat even though he became the prime minister three times. Bilawal said Nawaz Sharif should come to Tharparkar and hold a debate; the infrastructure there would be inspected and a comparison between Cholistan and Thar would also be made. He said the coal project in Thar, which was opposed by Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, was providing cheap electricity to Faisalabad and not Karachi.

Bilawal said Mian Nawaz Sharif should hold a discussion outside Karachi’s NICVD, where 84,390 people from Punjab were treated last year. He said the treatment of the people of Punjab at NICVD was a proof that Punjab hospitals did not have treatment facilities like Sindh. “Mian sahib, don’t take the escape route. Please tell me in which city and on which date the debate is to be held,” he dared PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Earlier in his address to a public rally in Rawalpindi, Shehbaz Sharif said, “Yesterday a gentleman invited Nawaz Sharif for a debate. If they had invited Nawaz Sharif to inspect Sindh instead of debate, it would have been good; debate and comparison both would have happened.”

Meanwhile, PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman on Saturday officially launched the party manifesto ahead of the 2024 general elections, lauded PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for unveiling a visionary and people-centric pledge and urged the masses to rally behind the youth leader for a transformative change and steering away from the politics of hatred and divisiveness.

The manifesto titled “Chuno Nai Soch Ko (Choose New Thinking)” outlines a comprehensive plan for inclusive development and transformative change, centering on economic gains anchored in social justice.

Addressing a press conference here along with PPP Secretary General Nayyer Hussain Bokhari and Media Coordinator Nazir Dhoki, she said after extensive consultations with all regions of the country as well as civil society stakeholders and experts, the PPP launched its manifesto for 2024 with a clear message for inclusion and transformational change based on prioritizing economic gains premised on social justice, creation of employment opportunities and a strong focus on providing both growth and relief to the most vulnerable sections of the population.

Meanwhile, PPP launched its website, voteteer.com on Saturday in anticipation of the 2024 general election. The website features a comprehensive 64-page election manifesto, outlining the party’s promises for the upcoming elections. Apart from the PPP’s manifesto, the party’s Public Economic Agreement has also been published on the website.