As the budget for the next fiscal year draws closer, Pakistan People’s Party has decided to support the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the lower house despite their “tantrums”.
PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while responding to a question during a press conference in the federal capital on Friday, announced support for the opposition party despite the “inappropriate behavior” of some PML-N members. He added that while his party would vote on the day in the National Assembly, it was PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif’s responsibility, as the leader of the opposition to stop the government’s budget.
PPP had prioritised national issues and the budget over differences between the political parties, he further said.
“So, despite their insults, the PPP went to Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation for dinner so we can rid the people of economic difficulties […] unfortunately our host was publicly insulted after that dinner by some officeholders of the PML-N,” said Bilawal, adding that flinging statements at guests was not a part of “our tradition, values and culture”.
Last week, Shehbaz had hosted a dinner reception for all mainstream opposition parties which was apparently aimed at bringing the PPP back to the Pakistan Democratic Movement. The PPP chief had not attended the dinner though senior party leaders did.
PPP leader Farhatullah Babar told a local news outlet that the PPP delegation had assured Shehbaz of their support for all moves of the joint opposition that would block the way of “anti-people decisions” in the upcoming budget.
PDM Secretary General Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had, the very next day, categorically stated that there was no place for the PPP within the opposition alliance until it restored the trust it had betrayed. “If you are not committed to trusting the movement, then there is no place for you within the PDM.”
Bilawal said that “Raiwand’s prime minister” Nawaz Sharif was sent abroad despite being convicted, as he lashed out at the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and PML-N.
“If the president (Asif Ali Zardari) is from Nawabshah, he remains on medical bail despite trumped-up charges,” the PPP chairman said.
Bilawal said that Zardari remains in Pakistan — moving from one doctor to another — despite his children telling him to go abroad and seek treatment.
“I want to ask the prime minister (Imran Khan) that what sort of accountability is being implemented in the country?” he asked, adding that if the premier’s friends are being alleged of a crime, no action is taken against them.
He went on to say that despite accusations against the prime minister and his sister, no action is taken against them either.
However, if the sister of a former president from Nawabshah is blamed for something, “then she is dragged to jail from her hospital bed”, he said, referring to PPP leader Faryal Talpur.
The PPP chairman lashed out at the PTI-led government and questioned its standards of accountability. “This system is a mockery of the Constitution.”
“If the leader of opposition is from Lahore (Shahbaz Sharif), he is awarded bail, and if the leader of opposition hails from Sukkur (Khursheed Shah), he is denied the right and treated like a ping-pong ball — back and forth from NAB courts to Supreme Court,” Bilawal said.
The PPP chairman claimed the authorities were repeatedly blackmailing Shah’s children and his wife.
He said that the people would soon hold PTI and PM Imran accountable for their alleged corruption and mismanagement, as he vowed his party would not back down from its stance despite the government’s pressure on it.
Bilawal said that PPP would not back down as it believed in the power of the people and parliament, adding if the opposition parties were not capable of sending the government packing, then in the next election, the people would do their work for them.
“Why are you begging from the Arab countries and the IMF?” asked the PPP chairperson, dismissing the government’s claims that Pakistan was progressing economically.
Bilawal said that whether it was Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen or any other minister, this government was now coming to the terms that the PPP’s stance was correct.
“If you remember, president Zardari had said ‘NAB and the economy cannot run together,'” he said.
Hitting out at the prime minister, Bilawal said judging by PM Imran’s statements, it was clear he was not aware of the common man’s problems.
“The prime minister says Pakistan’s difficult time is over. Not sure about the common man but the IMF’s difficult time is over, for sure,” he said sarcastically.
He said that the incumbent finance minister had admitted that the government had been handling financial matters in a poor manner.
