- Claims PDM saved country at cost of its political credibility
- Says together the alliance will tackle political and religious extremism
LAHORE: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Sunday that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) saved the country at the cost of their political credibility.
Addressing the closing session of the 2-day Asma Jahangir Conference at a local hotel here, as the chief guest, he hoped that constitutional and democratic journey of the PDM would continue for the betterment of the country.
“We will together tackle the political and religious extremism,” he added.
Bilawal said that India, Europe and the United States were also struggling against the political extremism and expressed his hope the new generation would welcome democracy and reject all nature of extremism.
He urged the youth to understand the issues of the country and protect themselves from the propaganda of an arrogant and selfish person who wanted to destroy the country for his politics.
“If Asma Jahangir was alive and she asked whether you have become the minister in result of a deal then I replied her absolutely not,” Bilawal said. He added that everything was not fine, but one should accept that the parliament and the institutions have progressed in several aspects. “There is always scope for betterment,” he said. “It is important to be observed for the progress of parliament and democracy that Imran Khan was sent home through a constitutional way of no-confidence,” Bilawal stated.
“Whether you like it or not that there is only one method to remove a prime minister in the constitution and it is no-trust motion,” he added. He said that he believed that Imran Khan was a selected prime minister. He said in the past prime ministers were either hanged or forced to leave the country. He said the political parties had never thought that Imran would attack on the economy of the country for his political survival.
Bilawal said that as soon as the PDM succeeded in rescuing the country from economic crises, unfortunately the historic flood had created another problem for the nation, adding that from Gilgit-Baltistan to KPK, South Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh provinces had badly affected by the flood and still these areas were in great trouble. “About 33 million people are affected due to the flood,”he added. The flood was a historic calamity, he said.
He said that the world should also rescue us to face the challenges after the flood as the rest of the world was responsible for the global warming not Pakistan, adding that today Pakistan was in trouble and tomorrow any other country could face the same situation.
“Our core issue should be restoration of flood affected people’s life instead of politics now,” Bilawal said.
He said that political clashes would continue but need of time was to help flood victims by joining hands.
He said that the people themselves were struggling against the burden of weather change which was injustice as the political parties should jointly support them in this hard times. He said that solution of the impact of global warming in Pakistan was in working unanimously. He said that the government would make this challenge as a test case and it would be a pilot project for the globe.
The minister said that the coalition government would work to improve the agricultural and irrigation system for the better future.
He said his coalition government in the center has saved Pakistan from bankruptcy, adding that the country’s political history has gone through many ups and downs.
Bilawal declared Asma Jahangir a role model for human rights activists and lawyers. He emphasized bringing the situation of flood victims before the nation.
PPP Senator Raza Rabbani, PTI Senator Syed Ali Zafar, PPP’s Dr Nafisa Shah, PML-N leader and former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and other prominent figures of the country also addressed the conference.
