Politics

In jibe at Imran, Bilawal says institution’s apoliticism irked ‘puppet’ politicians

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Bilawal says PTI to not quit KP and Punjab assemblies.
He says “chaos” being spread to save Khan, people close to him.
Bilawal says PPP’s jiyala to become next mayor of Karachi.

In an apparent jibe at PTI Chairman Imran Khan, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Wednesday institution’s apolitical stance has got “puppet” politicians worrying about their future.

“The institution has accepted its mistake. But now, they [‘puppet politicians’] are worried that if the institution has become neutral, then what will become of their politics,” Bilawal told a charged crowd in Karachi during his address at a ceremony held to mark PPP’s 55th foundation day.

The PPP chairman’s comments came after former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa’s interview, where he said that the army’s decision to become “apolitical” will help enhance its prestige in the long term.

Bilawal, who also holds the portfolio of foreign minister, vowed to thwart anti-democratic forces and the party will continue fighting against the “enemies” of democracy.

The PPP chairman said “chaos” was being spread in the country to save “watch thief” Khan, his sister Aleema Khan, Farah Gogi — a close aide PTI chief’s wife Bushra Bibi — from accountability.

Bilawal said when the PTI was “faizyab”, the party defeated PPP in its stronghold of Lyari and “stole” the mandate of the people.

‘Lying’

Bilawal said Wednesday that “coward” PTI Chairman Khan’s party lawmakers would not quit the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab assemblies.

“If you want to resign, then go ahead. The PPP is ready to face you; PPP is not afraid of ‘puppets’ and ‘selected actors’,” Bilawal said.

Bilawal claimed that Khan was “lying” when he said that his party’s lawmakers would resign from both assemblies as he is notorious for going back on his word.

“Don’t you remember”, he told the crowd, “that after PTI resigned from the National Assembly and the by-polls were set to take place, they moved the courts and plead that their resignations were just a political stunt”.

The PTI chief — who called off his long march to Islamabad last week — announced quitting assemblies across the country as he could not be part of a “corrupt system” anymore.

Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has also backed Khan’s call to quit the assembly and said that if the PTI chief asks him to dissolve the house, he would do so without waiting for a minute.

However, the PML-N — along with the coalition parties — is mulling thwarting the move and the party’s senior leaders have stressed that they would go to “any length” to keep it from dissolving.

Taking a jibe at Khan for cutting his long march short, Bilawal said: “He fled from Pindi. The coward beat a hasty retreat just like he did at the time of no-confidence motion.”

Bilawal told Khan that if he decides to resign from the assemblies, then the PPP and its “jiyalas” were ready to face his party. “We’re not afraid of you,” he vowed.

‘Jiyala’ to be next mayor Karachi

At the outset of his address, Bilawal thanked the people of Karachi for coming out in huge numbers as the party had decided to hold the founding day at different districts instead of a central one due to floods.

Bilawal paid glaring tributes to his mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and his maternal grandfather, ex-premier Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, for their services to the country.

He added that a “jiyala” would be elected Karachi’s mayor when the local body elections — scheduled to be held in January 2023 — take place.

“A jiyala sitting here in this crowd will become the next mayor,” he said, stressing that the PPP does not promote politics of hatred and anarchy.

Politics

Bilawal toes father Zardari’s line of political ‘unity’ ahead of polls

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

PPP chief Bilawal calls for burying politics of hatred, division.
Says wants to introduce new style of politics to end rivalries.
Zardari not afraid of “forces”, wants son Bilawal to become PM.

Following reports of differences between the top Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders, party chairman Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari has called for “burying” politics of hatred and division in line with the vision of his father Asif Ali Zardari’s reconciliatory politics.

“We have to do politics wherein we should think about unity and not of division. The PPP wants to start a new kind of politics in the country,” Bilawal said while addressing a public rally held to mark the PPP’s 56th foundation day in Quetta.

Bilawal said his party wanted to promote a style of politics under which there is no rival party of the PPP.

“PPP is fighting against inflation and poverty due to which people are suffering. The old style of politics is based on hatred, division, and revenge. The country’s youth needs to bury such politics,” the PPP chief added.

The PPP chief apparently lowered his rhetoric against his rivals in his first public interaction since his father Asif Ali Zardari’s interview wherein the top PPP leader termed his son “inexperienced” while expressing displeasure over his tirade against the elder politicians.

The interview broadcast on Geo News last week triggered speculations that there were cracks among the top PPP leadership.

However, the party quickly rejected the rumours, and Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, the daughter of PPP Co-chairman Zardari, put to rest the speculation asking people to not pay heed to the headlines

She also shared an image with her family — including Zardari, Bilawal, and aunt Faryal Talpur. All of them seemed in a happy mood.

In the same gathering, Bilawal also fired a broadside at his political rivals saying that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is now known as the “mehangai [inflation] league” in the country.

“People know that they are showbaz [showmen] of politics,” the PPP chief added.

Bilawal said Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the PML-N wanted to roll back the provincial autonomy granted under the 18th Amendment.

“They want to occupy the resources of the provinces..PPP will not let this conspiracy to succeed.”

‘Jiyala next PM’

Bilawal also announced giving a surprise to the entire in the February 8, 2024 general elections saying the jiyala [PPP worker] will become the country’s new prime minister.

Addressing the gathering, Zardari called for the support of his son to make him the country’s youngest prime minister.

“We have to teach Bilawal what we know […] we have to train him to make him a leader of the youth.”

The former president also said that some forces are always at play to pull the legs of a leader who wants to take the country forward.

“We are not afraid of such forces. We trust our people.”

Pakistan

COAS Gen Asim Munir meets Kuwaiti crown prince

Published

4 days ago

Farwa

PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to meet Kuwaiti crown prince today.
Both army chief and PM are in Kuwait on official visit.
PM Office says multiple MoUs expected to be signed during visit.

Army chief General Asim Munir on Tuesday met Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as part of his official visit to the gulf country, reported Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

The meeting was also attended by Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam, Pakistan Ambassador to Kuwait Malik Mohammad Farooq and other members of the delegation.

Meanwhile, PM Kakar has also arrived in Kuwait City after concluding the UAE visit and is expected to meet the crown prince today, the PM Office said on Wednesday.

The premier will also meet his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The PM office said that a number of memorandum of understanding (MoUs) will be signed for mutual cooperation in various sectors including manpower, information technology, minerals and mining, food security, energy and defence.

In UAE, Pakistan signed several MoUs worth multi-billion dollars in a range of areas on Monday to boost economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries, PM Kakar said.

The prime minister said with the signing of the MoUs, the bilateral economic and strategic relations had entered into a new era of bilateral cooperation.

Congratulating the people of Pakistan and the UAE, he said the foundation of friendship with Pakistan which was laid by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in the 1970s, had been taken forward by his son Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to a new era.

PM Kakar expressed the hope that the MoUs that were signed by the two countries would turn into tangible projects very soon.

Politics

Imran Khan’s aide kickstarts PTI funding campaign in Europe

Published

5 days ago

Farwa

LONDON: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Zulfi Bukhari has kickstarted a mass mobilisation and fundraising campaign for the party in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Addressing a workers’ convention in High Wycombe in London along with Sahibzada Jahangir, one of the founders of PTI, Zulfi said that the mass mobilisation and fundraising has been started for the elections scheduled for February next year.

“We will take part in elections at any cost. We need funds and effort from the overseas regions. The party needs funds for its legal challenges as well for the election campaign,” he said.

Zulfi said the entire leadership is prepared for the elections and will not be deterred by the arrest threats.

The former cabinet member said he will be going to Pakistan himself as soon as the party leadership directs him, adding that he was prepared to go to jail.

However, it is unlikely that Zulfi will be travelling to Pakistan anytime soon as the caretaker govt has requested Interpol for his arrest. He was in Dubai when the Interpol request was made, he left UAE and since then has not travelled outside London.

Zulfi said he will be personally visiting cities in the United Kingdom and Europe to raise funds.

The PTI leader revealed that the campaign in the UK is scheduled to start shortly and arrangements are in place. He said the PTI Core Committee was meeting daily to discuss affairs of the party to formulate strategies on a daily basis.

Zulfi Bukhari has so far stayed away from PTI UK events but his decision to take part in mobilisation suggests he has been asked by the leadership in Pakistan to engage with the local chapter.

Two weeks ago, he told an audience at the University of London that making Usman Buzdar Punjab’s chief minister was a mistake but Imran Khan did the right thing by not sacking him.