Politicians be aware of benefiting third force: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that the politicians should be cognizant of the situation, which might benefit the third force.

He said, “I suggest all political parties that we all do politics of opposition and agitate but we should play our cards in a manner so that we do not provide opportunity to any third force to have dictatorship in the country because we know that how much weak is this system, weak democracy is better than dictatorship.”

Reiterating his demand of the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said running a country like Pakistan is not cricket match.

“These people are not political at all, they are puppets and players that have no idea that running a democratic country like Pakistan is not a cricket match,” he said while talking with the media outside the Adiala Jail after visiting his father Former President Asif Ali Zardari along with his sister Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and Sardar Latif Khosa at the Adiala Jail.

Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the government itself shut the door of parliament due to rigging and selection.

He said, “They erect hurdles in our path, pressurize the courts, send references, and try to throw out judges.” “NAB is used as political tool. NAB chairman is threatened on personal issues to use him against political opponents. When democratic path is closed for opposition, they are left with option of agitation, protest and blocking roads,” he said.

The Chairman PPP said it is the government's responsibility to devise a political solution for the March, however, it seems that the government has no solution because they are so immature, they do not know how politics is done. “This situation could get quite difficult and we are heading towards anarchy and a constitutional crisis and just like this government has no plan for the economy, politics and governance it has none for this challenge as well,” he said.

In a reply to a question, the Chairman PPP said as far as Azadi march is concerned the position of PPP is very clear, “we support Maulana Fazalur Rehman’s march politically and morally.”

He said when Maulana Fazalur Rehman will tell his party workers about his arrival at different places PPP people will welcome him and support him and PPP has always struggled for democracy. “We agree on one-point agenda with Maulana Sahib that this government, Imran will have to go so that we can save democracy,” he said.

He said he already started political campaign from Karachi to Kashmir and had a big rally in Karachi on October 18 in which the people of Karachi has sent a message that they are not with this puppet government.” My next public gathering is in Tharparkar on 23rd and the people of Tharparkar will convey the same message to Islamabad that the people of Pakistan want to send this incapable government packing,” he said.

He said as far as Parliament is concerned unfortunately “we say that government itself and Imran Khan himself has locked the parliament.”

The PPP Chairman said Imran Khan was not allowing parliamentary system to function, not allowing any bill to be passed by the parliament, not issuing production orders of members, not allowing the meetings of parliamentary committees. “My own parliamentary committee of human rights has sent five bills out of which one is Zainab Alert Bill. They have not brought any of these bills on the floor of the National Assembly,” he said.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the stand of PPP on the dictatorship is very clear as historically “we have confronted every dictatorship and today as well if a situation of dictatorship or Martial Law arises then PPP will play the same role.”

In a reply to another question, the Chairman PPP said the PPP before too had a working relationship with Maulana Fazalur Rehman which has been very good as since the first say, on the 1973 constitution, there is PPP's signature and Maulana Fazalur Rahman’s party's signature as well.

He said the problems of this country are of such magnitude, the price hike is so much, the lives of the poor people are getting harder day by day, our foreign policy has so many issues, so we have to face them together. “We cannot solve them with a single party or leader, all of us have to solve these problems together,” he said.

When asked about reports of that Maulana Fazalur Rehman will be detained and the motorways are being closed along with the GT road and if he is detained will PPP offer to lead the march, the Chairman PPP said , the PPP cabinet and core committees will take detailed decisions, for now it is my program as well and his party too is supporting Maulana. “If any antidemocratic behavior takes place against Maulana sahib, if he is not allowed to exercise his democratic right to protest, then according to the day to day basis, PPP will focus on its position and if it is required of me to play another role in case of torture on political workers, then PPP will focus on it,” he said.

Toa question regarding the loss of PPP on Larkana Ps-11, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said it was not an election but a selection and we are ready to expose them on every forum.

He said FAFEN, observers that observe free and fair elections, have issued their own report in which not only did it note that the election contained irregularities but according to their analysis, 21 polling stations had gone through improbable voting.

He said the PPP has faced rigging before and ready to face it today as well. “The PPP is ready to face every situation and I know Pakistani people are with us, with the arrow, with truth and not with any puppet or selected and when these bags will be opened then everyone will see that there was rigging,” he said adding that the PPP will expose the lie before and re-election was called and we will again expose his lies and there will be re-election.

While giving the details after visiting his father former President Asif Ali Zardari Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the judges have directed the court authorities that the directives by the medical board and doctors should be acted upon, the medical facilities you have to provide, should be provided, provide fridge for medicines and also judge has ordered the recommendations by the medical board that President Zardari should be shifted to hospital so that in hospital treatment and investigation both should continue but unfortunately that order has not been complied with till date.

He said it seems that contempt of court law is only for democratic forces and undemocratic forces continue to violate constitution and rule of law but our courts do not take any action against them. “Former President Asif Ali Zardari will appear before court on Tuesday and our lawyer Latif Khosa and other lawyers will be there and will raise this point and hope that courts will do justice with us,” he said.

He said former President Zardari has basic right of health and the he Mandela rule of the UN is that the government has the responsibility of providing health facility to every prisoner.

He said Pakistani state and government is violating United Nations' convention and are targeting political prisoner and torturing him. “They are not providing them their basic rights. They are trying to put pressure on my party and family by using health condition of former President Zardari but we are PPP and workers of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and we did not bow before such tyrants before and will not do so today,” he said.

He said the PPP was demanding its rights and basic human rights which is the right of every Pakistani. “We hope that the judicial system of the country will provide us our rights,” he said..

He said this question is being raised all over Pakistan that former President Zardari's case is being tried in Rawalpindi when alleged crime is of Sindh province, case is from Sindh, FIR is from Sindh, accused is from Sindh and accusers are also from Sindh but the trial is being conducted in Rawalpindi and medical facilities are not being here so you are reminding the Jiyalas that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was kept in Rawalpindi, deprived him of his right and was judicially murdered. “You are reminding every Jiyala that PPP's leadership meet accident in Rawalpindi Every Pakistani has rights,” he said.

He said the PPP has never objected accountability, investigations despite the fact that President Zardari was jailed for 11.5 years without any conviction and still he is in jail without any conviction but PPP's democratic struggle has been for democratic right of the people of the country, for human rights and for economic rights. “We will continue and we will not retreat by such tactics,” he said.

He said the health of former President Zardari is deteriorating rapidly but as he always say that his health may get worse but his determination is still high. “Former President Zardari is ready to be imprisoned and tolerate torture but is not ready to compromise on your democratic, human and economic right,” he said.

In a reply to another question, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said during the PPP's time as well political opponents held protests and long marched to Islamabad, be it Iftikhar Chaudhry's long march or Tahir ul Qadri's dharna. “PPP was a democratic and pro-people government, we never stopped any protest, we invited every political power to Islamabad and protest,” he said adding that the PPP sent food to them took care and engaged them politically to resolve the issue and sent them back as well as protected the rights of the people while allowing the opponent to exercise theirs.