HYDERABAD/DADU: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday took a swipe at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s supreme leader Mian Nawaz Sharif for eyeing a fourth term as prime minister and wondered how a disqualified person be PM.

“Unlike other political parties, which are contesting elections with a view to exacting revenge and settling personal scores, his party is fighting for people’s wellbeing and progress,” he said.

Bilawal was speaking at public meetings in Dadu and Naushahro Feroz on Thursday.

He said the PPP would be able to form government at the centre and in Sindh with overwhelming support of people.

He reiterated his party’s 10-point manifesto which he described as Awami muahsi mauhida (Peoples’ Economic Contract) and said PPP would control price hike and poverty by enforcing its manifesto, which offered solution to the issues of unemployment, price hike, energy crisis etc.

He said that he found during his Sindh-wide visits in the wake of widespread floods in 2022 that Naushahro Feroz was the worst hit by the calamity and its town, Padidan, had recorded 1763.9mm of rainfall from July to August 2022 with 1228.5mm being reported in August 2022 alone.

He said that during his visits, women repeatedly asked him to rebuild their damaged abodes and he promised them reconstruction of their houses. As foreign minister he convinced UN Secretary General to visit Pakistan and sought assistance from various countries, he said, adding PPP was building three million houses in the shortest possible time. It would give proprietary rights of the houses to women, he said.

He said the housing project being executed by the Sindh People’s Housing for Flood Affectees, a company formed by outgoing PPP government, had hit delays due to interim government.

He vowed to complete the project after Feb 8 polls when PPP formed its governments in the centre and Sindh. The work was being delayed on account of elections although the houses were meant for flood victims, he said.

He promised establishing universities in every district including Naushahro Feroz and building NICVD in the district to provide free treatment to the patients of cardiovascular diseases.

He reiterated that Feb 8 polls were a contest between ‘Sher’ and ‘Teer’ and urged workers to start door to door campaign to convince people to ensure a thumping victory for his party.

He claimed that PPP had won local government polls across Sindh with masses’ support and even succeeded to grab mayoral slots in Karachi and Hyderabad.

He concluded his speech by taking a pledge of fealty from PPP’s candidates of Naushahro Feroz and Benazirabad districts.

Bilawal to begin drive in Punjab

Bilawal said at a public gathering at Mehar bypass in Dadu that he would begin his election drive in Punjab and go to Lahore tomorrow to hunt down the ‘lion’.

He said that Feb 8 would be a day of victory for PPP, which would form government in centre.

He took a swipe at Mian Nawaz Sharif without naming him for eyeing a fourth term as prime minister. “We don’t know how a disqualified person can be prime minister. How can a failed person be made prime minister for the fourth time?”

He said the lion had sucked blood of the poor and farmers. They (PML-N) had no concern for the people as they cared only grabbing the chair of the prime minister for the fourth time, he said.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2024