KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will be assisting in the party’s election campaign, but not leading it, the party chairman said in a video message to party workers on Tuesday.

Click on video to watch it in a larger size.

This is Bilawal’s first public speech since April 4, the death anniversary of his grandfather and PPP founder, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

On Sunday, party leaders said Bilawal would be leading the election campaign through a video link because of threats to his life.

“One day I will also lead the election campaign of PPP like Shaheed Bhutto and Shaheed BB. Until that time I am assisting my elders in the campaign but not leading it,” said the party chairman.

Speaking about South Punjab, which is a major part of the party’s manifesto, Bilawal criticised the former Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) provincial government.

Bilwalal Bhutto-Zardari, the chairman of the main party in the outgoing ruling coalition, the Pakistan People’s Party, said Tuesday that he will be assisting in the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) election campaign, but not leading it.

“Where are those people who claim to have given rivers of milk and honey to the Punjab? Can’t they see the development and prosperity of people of south Punjab?”

“You had time to do politics on a metro bus scheme worth 70 billion but forgot the poor people of the Punjab,” he added.

The PPP chairman seemed optimistic about the party’s future in Sindh in the coming polls.

“I have faith that the people of Sindh will vote for the PPP. The PPP led government has given the largest amount of development projects in the history of Sindh,” he said.

Bilawal also said the party was putting its faith behind veteran leaders.

“Yes, we will win from Sindh because we have veteran politicians like Syed Qaim Ali Shah, who served the people of Sindh selflessly. Yes we will win because we have great workers like Syed Khursheed Shah, who knows how to face all sorts of crises. And yes, we will win because we have jiyalas like Amin Fahim, who united the party in its most difficult times.”

Bilawal also mentioned other leaders including former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar.

The PPP chairman also vowed to sweep polls from parts of the country other than Sindh and south Punjab.

“And remember that Peshawar, Quetta and Lahore are also dear to me like Larkana. InshAllah, we will make Lahore and Peshawar the fortes of the PPP,” he said.

Reporting by Asif Mehmood.