Bilawal Bhutto says PPP not to celebrate Imran Khan’s conviction

Former foreign minister and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Wednesday that the PPP was a democratic party and it would not celebrate the conviction of ex-prime minister and former PTI chairman Imran Khan in two cases on two consecutive days, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Addressing a rally in Malakand, he complained that the PPP was not being provided a level-playing field in a run-up to the general elections scheduled to be held on February 8. “Similarly, circumstances were not favourable for the party in the previous elections as well. My mother Benazir Bhutto was assassinated prior to the elections in 2008,” he said, adding, “Similarly, our hands were tied in 2018 as well.”

Praising the PPP workers from Malakand, he said they always stood by the party. “You have boldly faced terrorism and even laid down your lives for that,” he said, and, while referring to the PTI government, added that people of the area had also seen the governance of the ‘selected’.

“Let me tell you that February 8 is a D-Day. You have an opportunity to decide your fate on that day. So you must now waste it and elect your representatives so that they could find solutions to your problems.”  

Bilawal said it was unfortunate that his political opponents spread hatred and created divisions in the society. “I want to say to aged politicians not to play with the people’s emotions,” he said, adding, “Do you think that what the PML-N is doing these days is in harmony with its slogan of ‘give respect to vote’?”

PPP chairman said that Benazir had also been subjected to political victimization.

Former foreign minister said that he had launched his election campaign from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). “I am looking towards none other than masses,” he said, adding that the governments should not be formed through political engineering but through people’s votes. “People should have the right to elect their representatives.”

He was of the view that the governments of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and that of Imran were not the product of people’s votes.  

Bilawal said it was sad that terrorism was again raising its head in the province.

He claimed that he, and not Maulana Fazlur Rehman or Nawaz, had the agenda for change. “We have to defeat the PML-N supremo’s plan to become the country’s prime minister for the fourth time,” he said, adding, “It is a conspiracy and only the PPP has an antidote to this conspiracy.”

PPP chairman announced that after becoming the prime minister, he would set all political prisoners free. “After all, democracy is the best revenge,” he remarked.

He also announced that if PPP came to power, it would give relief to masses and get tough on the elite. “I will do away with superfluous ministries and spend the money thus saved on people’s welfare,” he promised.