Why Imran being facilitated if he is popular: Bilawal

LALAMUSA/MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday said Imran Khan could not become the prime minister through conspiracy.

“If he is so much confident of his popularity, why he runs away from fair and transparent polls?” asked Bilawal and added that the people of Punjab backed the PPP’s ideology and the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) or the PTI could not compete with his party.

“Imran Khan is mistaken if he thinks that he can become the prime minister through any conspiracy. If Imran Khan was as popular as he thinks he is, he would not have to employ negative tactics to win the elections. Why Imran Khan is being facilitated and receiving special support from institutions,” he said.

Bilawal said name calling was not a civilised act, adding, “Imran Khan's politics is destroying the country.” Talking to newsmen at the residence of PPP Central Punjab president Qamar Zaman Kaira, who is contesting election from NA-70 (Gujrat-III), Bilawal again said attempts were being made to form a puppet IJI-like alliance after the upcoming elections and he would present evidence about the conspiracies one day.

Speaking about his policies, Bilawal said he would focus on people-friendly policies and added that he was against the banned political parties contesting elections. “Proscribed outfits contesting elections is an insult to democracy.”

When asked about the PPP's manifesto, Bilawal said it was different than those presented by the PML-N and PTI. “The PPP's manifesto had a bottom-to-top approach with its Bhook Mitao Programme and focuses on all sectors of the country,” he said.

Bilawal said basic rights should be given to everyone and it was people’s right to cast their vote in favour of whom they wanted to. The PPP chairman on Wednesday also addressed a massive rally in Mandi Bahauddin, where he said both the PML-N and PTI were the products of dictatorship.

The PML-N was born in the cradle of Ziaul Haq and PTI in the lap of Pervez Musharraf and that’s why the manifestos of both parties had nothing for the poor, he added. “Their politics is based on polices to boost the rich class only. Only the PPP has a manifesto to wipe out poverty and hunger. We shall issue food cards for the downtrodden classes after coming into power,” he promised.

Bilawal said they would issue Benazir cards for farmers, adding that the PPP brought 0.8 million people out of poverty in Sindh. “I am very much worried about Punjab as the masses of this province have been badly affected by the selfish policies of local politicians. The PPP never believed in the politics of abuses and follows decent rules,” he said.

He blasted the turncoats leaving the PPP ranks and said it had been the practice of opportunists even during the days of Benazir Bhutto, but it would not affect the party’s vote bank which was like an ocean.