ISLAMABAD:
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and IPP Chairman Abdul Aleem Khan held a meeting at Parliament on Wednesday, during which they discussed government formation in Gilgit-Baltistan and other issues of common concern.
Senior PPP leader and MP Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was also present in the meeting. The IPP delegation included Aoun Chaudhry, Gul Asghar Baghor and Munazza Hassan.
According to sources, Bilawal and Khan agreed in the meeting that the PPP and IPP would continue to work together in Britain in the future. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Bilawal thanked the British people for their support to the PPP in the recent elections.
Bilawal also thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the PML-N for accepting the electoral mandate of the PPP in the region. He noted that the PML-N had voted for PPP-backed candidates for the post of Chief Minister and Speaker of the British Assembly.
Bilawal also expressed gratitude to the IPP for supporting the PPP in Britain.
He also thanked the MWM and PTI supported members for their support and pledged to work collectively to resolve the problems faced by the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.
“We will work with everyone to solve the problems of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said.
Commenting on regional developments, he said the PPP hoped that the efforts of Prime Minister Shehbaz and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir regarding the Iran-US peace deal would succeed.
Bilawal observed that the recent conflict had imposed an economic burden on Pakistan and its people. Referring to Pakistan-Iran relations, Bilawal said ties between the two countries were strong even before the conflict and they were expected to improve further.
Bilawal recalled that the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project was initiated during the presidency of Asif Ali Zardari. He added that once regional conditions improve, the completion of the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project should become a priority.
Responding to a question regarding comments attributed to the PML-N, Bilawal said he never said that the party “puts its foot forward in difficult times and grabs people by the throat in easy times”.
Regarding the situation in Kashmir, Bilawal expressed concern over the recent developments.
“The situation in Kashmir has deteriorated. I never wanted to see such days in Kashmir,” he said. He added that the government’s policy on this issue was clear and the concerns of the public and protest groups were known.
