LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has been nominated as the party’s candidate for the slot of prime minister in the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.
The decision was taken by the PPP’s top decision-making body — the Central Executive Committee (CEC) — which met at Bilawal House in Lahore on Wednesday to discuss the party’s campaign for the upcoming general election.
Bilawal is also contesting from NA-127 Lahore, where he would compete with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shaista Pervaiz Malik and a PTI-backed candidate.
The CEC meeting also discussed the party election manifesto, which decided to give priority to youth and women empowerment, employment, health and education.
It also expressed complete confidence in the leadership of Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
PPP leaders including Secretary General Taj Haider, Syed Khursheed Shah, Rana Farooq Saeed Khan, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Samina Khalid Ghurki, Murad Ali Shah, Chaudhry Aslam Gill and Ali Badr were present at the meeting.
Later, talking to the media, Bilawal said he had decided to contest the election from Lahore, whether anybody liked it or not.
Flanked by PPP Secretary General Taj Haider and former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, Bilawal said, “Gen Zia imposed the PML-N on us and Gen Faiz Hameed imposed the PTI.”
He said both the PML-N and PTI were representative of the ruling elite. Both were unable to address the issues confronted by the country. He said the PPP was the only party that always came up with its vision and manifesto before polls and kept people on priority.
He said the PPP intended to set up energy parks in every district headquarters and provide free electricity up to 300 units.
He also promised free and quality education to people after forming the government. He said the wages of employees would be increased by 200% and the BISP network would be expanded.
Bilawal thanked the PPP CEC for nominating him as the candidate for the slot of prime minister.
He condemned the incidents of terrorism in the country, saying that to steer the country out of crises, crucial decisions would have to be taken.
