MARDAN: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has warn­ed political leaders not to join PML-N as they would lose their “political weightage” if they enter the party’s fold.

He made these remarks on Friday while addressing a workers’ convention at the hujra of the late senator Muhammad Ali Khan in Mardan.

The PPP chairman also warned that people tolerated “selected rule” in the past but won’t tolerate it anymore.

Calling out his rival PML-N, whom he referred to as ‘Mehngai League’, the PPP leader said: “Those stuck in the politics of the past are still looking for electables”.

Says anyone siding with ‘Mehngai League’ will lose political influence

While accepting that electables have some political influence, he added that anyone joining the PML-N “won’t remain an electable anymore”.

“This is a ground reality. People are conscious now,” he said and advised political parties to look towards the people and not left or right.

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“PPP is a democratic and federal party. We have always trusted people. We want all the parties to trust people too. Trust your politics. Trust your manifesto”.

In an apparent reference to the powers that be, the PPP chairman said: “If someone is imposed again and if selection happens again, people will be at a loss.”

He said the people were aware of the poor economic condition the country was in, leading to historic price hikes, poverty and unemployment.

“There is only one solution to all of this: to make PPP victorious in the upcoming elections so that the ‘rule of the people’ can be established — a government of the farmers, labourers and youngsters, helping the country emerge from the crisis.”

“Our politicians are stuck in the past. They neither think of the present nor the future of this country,” he added.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the PPP wanted to end the politics of hatred and division.

“It wishes to establish new traditions that allow the country to progress and prosper.”

“Our fight is not with any other political party, but poverty, price hikes and unemployment,” the PPP chairman said. “The PPP will find solutions for these with the people by its side. The next government will be of the PSF, PYO and the jiyalas.”

The party, he said, was ready to accept the decision of the people. “We are going to complete the mission of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.”

Promising to return to Mardan Division to hold public gatherings once the election schedule was announced, he assured party activists that the PPP was a party of the people.

“We have to remind people that the PPP has always served the people, especially the downtrodden masses,” he said.

He said former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave land ownership to the common person.

“He struggled for the sake of the people and accepted martyrdom, after which shaheed Mohta­rma Benazir Bhutto held up the torch to strive for the rights of the people for three decades while fighting two dictators. It is with the help of the people that one unarmed woman faced general Zia and general Musharraf without ever backing down.”

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2023