He says the parties will have to find a political path; Incidents like May 9 have no place in politics
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari addresses a huge gathering at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh. Photo: Express
HYDERABAD:
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has offered the services of his father, President Asif Ali Zardari, to lead the political reconciliation process in the country, tacitly extending an olive branch to Imran Khan’s beleaguered PTI.
“Political forces will have to find a political path,” Bilawal said while addressing thousands of people at his party’s public meeting organized to commemorate the 18th death anniversary of his mother, former prime minister and PPP chairwoman Benazir Bhutto.
“Opposition parties will have to pursue responsible policies, and those in power will have to keep the country’s interests in mind,” he said.
Days after an alliance of opposition parties – TTAP – announced a shutdown and wheel-locking strike on the second anniversary of the “highly rigged” general elections on February 8, 2024, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on December 23 that his government was ready to begin negotiations with the opposition.
Bilawal said he believed his father – who he described as the “king of political reconciliation” – was the only key political figure capable of leading the rapprochement.
“What was Shaheed Benazir Bhutto’s last message?” » he asked, before answering himself: “It was the message of reconciliation.
He said his mother’s latest book also discussed and advocated the same political approach of ending hostilities in the greater interest of the country, its people, its economy and democracy.
Bilawal, however, warned that incidents such as the May 9 attacks and repeated abuses against institutions have no place in politics.
He responded negatively when asked whether his workers would have responded by attacking the corps commander’s house and other military installations if he or his father had been arrested.
Recalling the hanging of his grandfather, former Prime Minister and PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he said the reaction at the time remained largely in the political domain.
He credited his mother for keeping within political boundaries instead of provoking violence, even when hundreds of thousands of fervent supporters took to the streets to welcome her in Lahore in 1986.
Similarly, Bilawal praised his father, President Zardari, for raising the slogan “Pakistan Khappay” after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007, even though slogans such as “we don’t want Pakistan” were echoed at the time.
The PPP chairman regretted that the prevailing culture of hostility in politics had harmed the people, the country, democracy, the economy and national security.
“I believe that if we can lead Pakistan out of this political crisis, we can also lead the country out of the economic crisis and address national security challenges more effectively.”
Bilawal offered his party’s support to the PML-N-led federal government to resolve financial difficulties, but stressed that his proposal focused on decentralization of tax collection, power distribution companies and other sectors.
He said the provincial governments could ensure better tax collection compared to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). “Instead of grabbing powers, the center should assign more responsibilities to the provinces,” he said.
He suggested that utility companies such as Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) should be handed over to the Sindh government, noting that subsidies given to the two entities have remained a perpetual burden on federal funds.
Bilawal agreed with the PML-N government’s assertion that inflation has declined compared to the levels during former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tenure.
However, he acknowledged that people’s purchasing power remains limited and essential items such as food rations, utility bills, education and healthcare have become difficult to afford, calling the situation an “affordability crisis”.
President Zardari, on the other hand, attributed the Pakistan Khappay slogan to Benazir Bhutto, saying it was coined by her soul. He said he never asked his party activists to take to the streets while he was in prison. “I would have rather told them to take care of themselves and that I would face the enemies myself.”
The President harshly criticized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reminding him of the humiliating defeat that the Pakistani armed forces inflicted on his country in defense against Indian aggression in May this year.
He reiterated that more number of Indian fighter jets could have been shot down if world powers had not shown mercy to India.
Zardari praised Field Marshal General Syed Asim Munir and other commanders of the armed forces for ensuring impregnable defense of the country while inflicting defeat on Indian forces.
He asked Modi to stop referring to ‘roti’ [bread] and ‘goli’ [bullet]. Acknowledging Pakistan’s economic and political difficulties, the president said “a stupid person had destroyed Pakistan’s economy and its relations with the world.”
He said the field marshal also plays an important role in restoring Pakistan’s relations with the world. “Even Donald Trump calls him a marshal.”
The president described defense as the best offense. “When they came to attack, we were already waiting for them in the sky.”
He said India, despite its ten times larger population and much larger economy, could not prolong the war for more than four days because the country’s civilian and military leaders lacked the courage their Pakistani counterparts were blessed with.
The president stressed that Pakistan does not want war, but if aggression is imposed on the country, not only the armed forces but also political workers, including those of his own party, will fight in defense of the country.
