- Indian government led by Modi uses water as a tool of terrorism: Bilawal.
- PPP chief promises free health facilities in Gilgit-Baltistan.
- Bilawal rejects claims by former PM Imran who rejected foreign bases.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday urged the federal government to complete the Diamer-Bhasha Dam at the earliest, terming the project a national necessity.
“He [Diamer-Bhasha Dam] it is not only a right of the people of Diamer, but also a need of Pakistan,” he said at an election rally in Diamer.
Bilawal criticized India’s violation of the Indus Waters Treaty, saying Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was using water as a tool of terrorism.
“No other project is more important than Diamer-Bhasha Dam,” he said, urging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to show “Shehbaz speed” in completing the project at the earliest.
The Diamer-Bhasha Dam is a 4,500 megawatt project estimated to cost $15 billion and is expected to become one of the largest dams in the world once completed.
The project, seen as a positive boost to Pakistan’s economy, will irrigate 1.2 million acres of agricultural land while extending the life of the Tarbela Dam by 35 years.
Addressing the participants, Bilawal urged voters in Gilgit-Baltistan to elect a PPP chief minister in the June 7 elections, saying the party continued to enjoy public trust.
He claimed that the PPP had received the highest number of votes in previous British elections, but was deprived of nine seats.
The PPP chairman also highlighted the political legacy of former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, saying they had worked for the rights of the underprivileged sections of the society.
Referring to his mother’s assassination, Bilawal said some elements believed there would be no leadership after her death.
Bilawal praised President Asif Ali Zardari, saying he continued to raise his voice on behalf of the people after Bhutto’s assassination.
He credited President Zardari for launching the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), saying he had not forgotten the British people.
Bilawal reiterated that he wanted the region to benefit from the 18th Amendment, saying a stronger GB would contribute to Pakistan’s overall economic progress.
Highlighting the record of the PPP government in Sindh, he said the province had expanded health services following the 18th amendment.
“We have built a network of hospitals in Sindh and kept medicines, operations and transplants free,” Bilawal said, adding that the PPP would make similar health facilities available in Britain.
The PPP chairman has also spoken about foreign military bases in the past, saying facilities previously used by other countries had been closed under a PPP-led government.
According to Bilawal, the PPP government closed all foreign military bases and “bid farewell to the guests”, ranking it among the major achievements of the PPP.
In an apparent reference to jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, Bilawal slammed claims that the former prime minister said “absolutely no” to foreign military bases, saying these had been closed beforehand.
