Price-hike, unemployment - 2020 is the year of change: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that the state should not be run through conspiracies rather it should be run according to the wishes of the people.

“We do not accept this selected and will not accept any other selected. We only believe in democracy. We can protect people's economic rights through democracy,” he said while in an interview to a private TV channel.

Bilawal said he had called 2020 the year of elections because of the economic situation and worst kind of unemployment in the country as everyone is suffering due to price hike and unemployment. “The government imposed IMF deal by force but the people will not tolerate this country anymore,” he said. In response to a question that Prime Minister Imran Khan says that all institutions are on one page, Bilawal said that the real question is that on which page the people are. If any political party or institution does not support people then they will have no future. “There are options such as in-house change and elections as well,” he said.

To a question with regard to London Plan, Bilawal said he did not know anything of such plan as these were only conspiratorial talks and he wanted to reiterate decision makers were only people of Pakistan.

Responding to another question, the PPP chairman said government is hell bent to victimise the political opponents whether it is a case of sedition against Maulana Fazlur Rehman or putting ban on social media. “This is the first government after martial law to have censorship,” he said. In a reply to a question with regard his announced march in the month of March, Bilawal said, “We are not ready to go back from our call of protest in March and our target is against price hike and “PTIMF” budget. “When he announced march then NAB of Imran Khan would send me notice to bring me under pressure but we are not ready to back from our call,” he said. He said the target of the march were not only against the price hike and “PTIMF’ budget but also to give a message to the government it was demand of the people that the deal made with the IMF was not acceptable as the economic sovereignty was compromised. “We did not accept this ‘PTIMF’ deal wanted that the government renegotiate deal with the IMF and bring the deal that should be people friendly,” he said.

In response to a question about the silence of Maryam Nawaz Sharif and absence of the opposition leader from the country, Bilawal said he hoped that Maryam Nawaz' silence and going abroad is not because of any deal. “I will be present in the country and I am not the one who runs away and will continue to raise voice against government and for the rights of the people,” he said.

In a reply to question with regard to Maulana Fazlur Rehman statement that Dharna was ended due to some undertakings, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said neither we have aware of any deal nor was a part of it. He said the government is not serious to solve people's problems.

He said that agriculture is the backbone of the Pakistani economy but the government has totally ignored the agriculture sector because it has no interest in the people or their problems.