Law and order: Parties should show responsibility, says Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: In the wake of decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to acquit Aasia Bibi, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called upon political parties to show responsibility as the country could not afford tragedies anymore.

“I genuinely appeal to all the political parties inside and outside Parliament to show responsibility as the country cannot afford more tragedies,” Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on floor of the National Assembly said while mentioning that his grandfather, his uncle, his mother, Punjab Governor and then minister for minorities were assassinated.

Bilawal said that they wanted to know as to what steps have been taken to protect judges, Aasia Bibi and people of Pakistan but referring to absence of the Prime Minister from House, he said there was nobody to answer the question.

“I wanted prime minister and interior minister to do their jobs and hear from them,” he said adding that he did not share criticism on Prime Minister’s speech by members and making him to say ‘Qadam Barhao Imran Hum Tumharay Sath Hein’. “We are with justice, democracy and rule of law,” he said.

He said he wanted to hear from the prime minister along with lines what he said in his address to the nation on Wednesday night.

He said the PTI government, prime minister, interior minister needed to take situation and this House seriously.

He said it was not time to discuss actions of the PML-N government against PPP in the past but it is high time to develop consensus and time to address grave problems being faced by the country and imminent law and order situation facing people of Pakistan. “This is job of government, onus is on the government, onus on Parliament and onus on the state institutions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the PPP believes in the supremacy of Parliament, constitution and rule of law.

“Whenever the matter of the national interest comes up, the PPP always stands ahead in the better interest of the country,” he said while talking to newsmen at the Parliament lobby following his speech in the National Assembly.

A quizzing journalist asked him whether it was change in the policy of the PPP when he raised the slogan of “Qadam barhao Imran Khan hum tumharay saath hai (Move ahead, we are with you, Imran Khan)“ and whether it was part of the deal, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari replied that there was no change in the PPP policy. “You are taking things with wrong angle… When things come about the country’s interest, the PPP always stands for the best interest of the country,” he said.

He said the wrong meanings of his speech were being taken which is very unfortunate. “The PPP always stood for the supremacy of constitution and rule of law,” he said.

Asked whether there was any NRO, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari plainly refuted it saying, ”No”.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s speech in the National Assembly came after senior PPP leader Khursheed Shah was critical of the prime minister’s address to the nation saying his body language was aggressive.