Supreme Court verdict infuses new life into ‘dead’ political party, says Bilawal
PPP chairman accused judiciary of interfering in Parliament’s affairs
By News Desk
August 9, 2024 12:59 PM
PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has accused the judiciary of “interference” in the affairs of parliament, saying a Supreme Court verdict has infused new life into otherwise a “dead” political party, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Addressing the National Assembly on Friday, Bilawal Bhutto said “Our judicial system is very ‘able’ as there was no judiciary in the world can compete our judiciary. Our judiciary builds a dam. It fixes rates of samosas and tomatoes.”
He further said “One institution interferes in Parliament again and again. Its one verdict infused new life into a dead political party. There were tragedies like martyrdoms of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. It took three generations to wait for justice for Quaid-i-Awam. Today Pakistani citizens are waiting for justice.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wN7RMp3uSk
PPP Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has accused the judiciary of “interference” in the affairs of parliament, saying a Supreme Court verdict has infused new life into otherwise a “dead” political party, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Addressing the National Assembly on Friday, Bilawal Bhutto said “Our judicial system is very ‘able’ as there was no judiciary in the world can compete our judiciary. Our judiciary builds a dam. It fixes rates of samosas and tomatoes.”
He further said “One institution interferes in Parliament again and again. Its one verdict infused new life into a dead political party. There were tragedies like martyrdoms of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. It took three generations to wait for justice for Quaid-i-Awam. Today Pakistani citizens are waiting for justice.”
Bilawal claimed Pakistan is being pushed into constitutional crisis. “No one sitting in this House is responsible for the current crisis in the country. Only the court was and is the reason for the crisis,” he observed. “The relief given to the PTI was neither constitutional nor lega.”
He also asked the opposition leader, did he or the prime minister snatch the PTI’s bat symbol? It was revoked by the court citing ‘rigging’ in the interparty elections.
The PPP leader lamented that ‘hate politics’ have peaked in Pakistan, which is unprecedented as it deepening the divisions further in the country. “People are passing through the worst economic crisis, but we are unable to provide them relief,” he added.
“The history of judiciary is before everyone,” he said and added that his party had to fight for justice on behalf of its martyred leaders.
He added that the PPP founder did not get a fair trial from the judiciary, while lamenting the delay in justice for common citizens. It was this year, he added, that his grandfather received justice posthumously.
Commenting on PTI’s bat symbol case, Bilawal said it was initially a result of the party’s “rigged” intraparty elections, according to the court. He insisted that the verdict on the bat symbol was not issued by him or the government. “This court verdict resurrected a dead political party after which, it started mobilising,” he said, adding the decision has political implications and benefitted the PTI at the last minute.
“We should learn a lesson for whatever had happened in Bangladesh. Something is in your hands, something is not.
Bilawal maintained that at the moment a visible distance was existed among the institutions. “We malign each other day and night, calling each other thieves. We should find a way out so that the process of development keeps going on unhindered despite political wranglings,” he remarked.
“Islamabad was built to so solution of the country’s problems are found but here conspiracies are being hatched against one another,” he said, and added divisions if politics today are unprecedented and never witnessed in the history, making hard to control the law and order situation.
Bilawal said the federal capital was formed only to serve the nation as it has no other history and purpose. Since this city was established, the political leaders have been doing politics for generations but they have not been serving the purpose of national service but rather started conspiracies, leg pulling and paving the way for dictatorial coups that weakened the democracy, he added.
“There has been unprecedented politics of hatred and division in the country and due to it the nation is facing inflation, poverty and economic crisis,” he said.
Bilawal added the law and order situation was aggravating across the country and the political leadership was unable to meet minimum consensus in the House to fight terrorism and other crises. “We must chalk out a roadmap to fight our political fights within the political limits and bring minimum consensus on issues of extreme national interest and significance,” he said.
He commented on the Bangladesh crisis and said the entire region should learn from its experience that the politicians should give importance to the public issues.
The PPP chairman underlined that the country and its institutions would have to uphold their professional duties and responsibilities as per the constitution other then they cannot function properly and serve the due purpose of national service.
Bilawal urged the political parties in the House to engage with each other for coping with pressing issues like security and other matters.
Tribute to Arshad Nadeem
Bilawal urged the House to pave roadmap to ensure federal and provincial governments’ level patronage to improve athletics and sports facilities for the youth to produce more successful athletes like Arshad Nadeem.
The PPP chairman welcomed the chief guest Imam Masjid-e-Nabawi (PBUH), Sheikh Dr Salah bin Muhammad Al Budair, Saudi Ambassador, Nawaf Bin Saeed Al Malaki and appreciated the Imam’s awe-aspiring recitation of the Holy Quran.
Bilawal also congratulated athlete Arshad Nadeem for his victory in the Paris Olympics 2024. “He made the impossible possible through his struggle and broke the world record. He brought gold medal for the nation and it’s the proof that when the youth of Pakistan is given an opportunity they bring laurels to the nation and do the formidable tasks,” he said.
He urged that this house must have the consensus that the children who have the capacity to outshine in all games should be given proper facilities and opportunities.
“Lyari in Karachi has every child an accomplished footballer. Girls from Dera Ismail Khan are winning black belts in taekwondo without the patronage of the government. Neither federal nor provincial governments are supporting sportsmen. We should pledge that all provinces and the federation should join hands to establish endowment fund for sports so that talent hunt, training, support and promotion should be done to produce Arshad Nadeem from all provinces in Olympics,” Bilawal said.
Pakistan has great opportunity, talent in youth, whereas skills of its labourers had turned deserts in the Middle East to great cities, he said. “We are a country from mountains to coasts blessed with all resources,” he added.