MITHI: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to stop playing with the lives of his political rivals and provide best healthcare facilities to former premier Mian Nawaz Sharif, which was his fundamental right.

“God forbid, if anything happens to Mr Sharif, Imran and his cronies will be held responsible for it,” he said at a news conference after inaugurating a campus of NED University here on Thursday.

He expressed concern over Mr Sharif’s health and criticised rulers for not allowing his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif to stay with him in the hospital. Imran Khan’s government was “fascist”, which believed in political victimisation of all those who had faith in democratic values, he said.

He said that even under UN laws, ailing political leaders had right to get treatment but the Niazi government had unleashed the worst political vindictiveness just to perpetuate its rule, which was presented to him through a “massively rigged election”.

“Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif face cruelty by the selected prime minister because they are not accepting him as elected and true representative of masses,” he said.

Bilawal advised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to learn from past rulers and stop political victimisation of opponents. PTI rulers had badly damaged national economy which led to thousands of people losing their jobs.

“If economy is not put back on the right track with some wise steps it will give rise to crimes in the country,” he said.

He said that it was need of the hour to send ‘selected’ rulers packing as soon as possible.

About re-election for PS-11 in Larkana, he said that the poll was completely rigged and PPP candidate Jamil Soomro was defeated in very mysterious circumstances. Neutral organisations like Free and Fair Election Network had also raised a number of objections to the process of re-poll in the constituency, he said.

He said that democratic forces were ready to rid the country of the “most incompetent rulers of history”, who according to him, had become great security risk for the fundamental rights of people, freedom of speech and economy. The ‘selected’ rulers were trying to run state institutions including courts through remote control, he said.

He said that PPP would fully support Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl’s march and PPP leaders and workers would join it at all points along its route up till Islamabad.

He lashed out at National Accoun­tability Bureau chairman retired Justice Javed Iqbal and said that he would have to answer for the “injustices” being done to political opponents of the “imposed” government.

He warned NAB chairman and other official of the bureau to mend their ways and stop “terrorising” politicians just to please ‘selected’ rulers.

“It does not behove a retired justice to indulge in such activities,” he said and added that a reign of ‘terror’ had been unleashed by NAB officials, which had created chaotic conditions.

Bilawal said that Sindh government and Thar Foundation of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Com­pany would provide maximum number of facilities to people of Thar. As per its commitment the Sindh government had opened the NED campus in the first phase and very soon it would establish a university with various faculties so that not only Tharis but people from other districts could also gain education and skill training to be able to get jobs in Thar coal projects.

PPP leaders and officials of the NED University were also present at the news conference.

Bilawal visits Thar coalfield

The PPP chairman visited Thar Coal Block-1 for the first time during his two-day stay in Thar and was briefed by officials of two mining firms about ongoing extraction of coal reserves.

He visited coalfields in various sites including New Senhri Dars village. Later, Bilawal gave away a cheque for Rs100,000 each to 172 families and said that this amount was a “token gift” from Sindh government.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2019