Foreign Minister and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Tuesday asked the nation to give the coalition government a year to undertake economic and electoral reforms after ‘putting up with Imran Khan for four years’.
He was addressing a gathering in Larkana to commemorate the birth anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. He said Benazir Bhutto fought with every ‘tyrant’ including former military dictators Zia ul Haq and Pervez Musharraf.
He severely criticized PTI chief Imran Khan for economic mismanagement and disastrous foreign policy, which he claimed, resulted in international isolation for Pakistan. He said Benazir Bhutto struggled for 30 years for restoration of democracy, uplifting of people and spreading the message of peaceful Islam.
“She faced every tyrant, be it dictator Zia [ul Haq] or dictator Pervez Musharraf.” He added that the PPP workers stood with Benazir against Zia and Musharraf, and now they had ousted another undemocratic leader, says a news report. The PPP chief further said his party ousted the ‘selected’ after waging a struggle along with two other political parties. Bilawal said “power-hungry and criminal Imran Khan Niazi”, who was responsible for the current inflation and several other prevailing economic issues, was now roaming free and was accusing others of causing the issues.
“Imran is causing this damage to the people just to stay in power and the burden of it is now being born by the commoners.” Bilawal asserted that the former premier must be told to respond to his performance, including the cases of corruption emerging now.
Referring to the Toshakhana case, he said the PTI chief and the former first lady will have to provide answers about their corruption. “People now know that the slogan of change wasn’t for change, but for the destruction of the country.” Imran Khan, he added, begged other countries for funds and was now resorting to mudslinging against his political rivals. “It was because of the struggle by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif that Pakistan was saved from going bankrupt.” The PPP leader maintained that he had been visiting several countries.
“Our policy is not to beg but to trade with other countries.” “We put immense effort into taking Pakistan out of the Financial Action Taskforce (FATF) grey list and it is hoped that by October, when an on-site visit is due, we will achieve this objective.” Earlier, while addressing the gathering, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah that the coming generations will keep the slogans of the party high and achieve them. He added that the party activists will never forget Benazir Bhutto’s message and will keep it alive with zeal and zest. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the PPP chairperson and said democracy is “poorer” without her; the void “left by her martyrdom will never be filled”. He recalled the former prime minister fearlessly and staunchly advocated the causes she believed in.
