Sawan Khaskheli
Thatta
PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Sunday that the opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had never asked for “relief.” He said that it was instead seeking “democracy, level playing field, and an end to unemployment, inflation and poverty”.
Bilawal was talking to reporters in Thatta. He made the remarks in response to a question about the government’s stance that the PDM was formed only to “seek an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance)”-like concession. He said the government only brought up the NRO when it had no answer to the PDM’s criticism but the people could “clearly see through these tactics”.
Addressing questions regarding any disagreements between the PDM and PPP, he said: “Our CEC (Central Executive Committee) has endorsed every decision of the PDM.” He emphasised that the decisions regarding contesting the upcoming by-elections or any other elections will be made from the PDM’s platform “with consensus”.
The PPP leader rubbished Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid’s comments from the previous day, who had said the PDM had accepted defeat and the PPP had won. “I understand that PDM’s win is PPP’s win and PPP’s win is PDM’s win so we are one. When PDM wins the people of Pakistan win,” he said.
Bilawal also condemned Sunday’s incident in Balochistan where 11 coal miners were kidnapped and shot dead.
“I strictly condemn the terrorist and murderous action against the coal miners, and demand from the government that it implement the National Action Plan (NAP) and bring it into action,” he said.
He said the NAP had been forgotten and not been followed ever since the incumbent government came to power. Bilawal alleged that “major terrorists are escaping” and that culprits involved in the Army Public School (APS) attack were also being “let go”.
