Imran deprived people of basic needs: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Friday said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s disastrous economic policies had deprived 16 percent of Pakistanis of even one square meal a day.

“Extreme poverty is robbing our people of their most basic needs today. They are demanding Roti (Bread), Kapra (Clothing), and Makaan (Shelter), but the corrupt prime minister and his incompetent government have deprived them of their most basic needs,” he said in a statement.

Bilawal said the PPP was the only political platform that actively represented the will of the people, and even critics would agree that its policies were aimed at empowering the most marginalized.

He said the PPP had a proven track-record of providing jobs to the people and the youth. “Any honest reading of history would show that the country has seen some of the most progressive economic and agricultural policies under the PPP governments,” he said.

He said the incompetent prime minister on the other hand had a revolving door policy for the country’s financial advisers.

Bilawal said what more could underscore the absolute lack of vision than the fact that the finance minister had been changed thrice, the Board of Investment chairman changed thrice, the chairman FBR being changed four times, and secretary trade being changed four times as well in this governments two and half years in power.

“No matter who the selected prime minister changes, the results will be the same because he does not have the vision or the ambition to do anything but to serve his crony capitalists and his benefactors,” he said.

He said the situation in Pakistan will remain bleak as long it was ruled by a prime minister and government that announced and trumpeted a policy one night, only to change its mind overnight and rejected it in a cabinet meeting the next day.

Bilawal said the short rule of the prime minister had badly exposed his ineptitude and incapability and the masses knew that all the talk of Tabdeeli (Change) was just an eye-wash for Imran Khan to play out his megalomaniacal fantasies.

He said during the 33 months and 11 days of the PTI government’s term, the country was still waiting for the ‘selected prime minister’ to fulfill his commitment of fixing the problems in 90 days.

Bilawal said it was patently clear that the remaining 813 days will be marked by the same incompetency and misrule.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Friday accused Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser of violating the Constitution by allowing the passage of a resolution to extend the NAB Amendment Ordinance despite lack of quorum in the House.

“Today, once again, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has violated the Constitution by passing a resolution to extend the NAB Amendment Ordinance despite not meeting the full quorum and such an extension is deemed to be illegal and unconstitutional and we strongly condemn this act,” said Secretary Information PPP Parliamentarians Shazia Atta Mari in a video message.

“Today the Constitution and the rules of the National Assembly have been violated once again and the way the NAB Amendment Ordinance has been extended is an illegal and unconstitutional step,” she said.

She said it was decided that amid the Covid-19 situation no important legislation would be carried out unless the opposition parties were taken into confidence, but sadly today, the extension of the NAB Amendment Ordinance was placed on agenda without taking the opposition into confidence.

She said Syed Naveed Qamar had also objected to the move but extension to the NAB amendment ordinance was allowed despite lack of quorum.

Shazia said ordinances could not be allowed to pass nor could extension to ordinances be given in this manner. She said the opposition was told that no legislative business would be brought unless the opposition was given prior notice of three days.

She said Speaker Asad Qaiser had refused to count the members when an opposition member pointed out incomplete quorum.