HEAD OF THE Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, spoke at a workers’ convention in Shangla and thanked the jiyalas for spreading the word that the “Jiye Bhutto” slogan brings life to the valley of Shangla. “Today too, the jiyalas and brothers of Benazir Bhutto are steadfast on her ideology to complete her incomplete mission.”
“The country has a lot of problems, like a political climate that is becoming more divided and an economic crisis that keeps getting worse.” The party chairman said, “Conventional politicians in the country are set on continuing the politics of hate, ego, and division at this point.”
“They have turned politics into a way to carry out personal vendetta instead of letting it be a platform for difference of opinion,” Bilawal told the people of Shangla. They have no interest in solving the problems of the people. The ever-increasing inflation, poverty and unemployment is the most important issue for my brothers and sisters, but the least for our fellow politicians”.
“The political parties of the country are not thinking of the people or the future of the country. I would like to convey to the youngsters and students of the country that it is the PPP that has helped the country emerge from deep turmoil in the past, and today too is the sole party that can provide ‘Roti, Kapra Aur Makaan’, all while considering poverty and price-hike its opponents, not other political parties,” Bilawal said.
“We have been fighting this war for three generations. We have learned how to be of service to the downtrodden masses through our elders, and this is our political training. We do not know the politics of name-calling, TikTok or Gate no 4.
The PPP chairperson said that he does not ask anyone for help but the youngsters, elders, students, farmers and labourers of the country to support the PPP and change the fate of the country.
“Just as the people have now witnessed all the politicians of the country, I too have seen them closely,” Bilawal said. “Their politics is deeply entrenched in hate and division. We have to introduce a new form of politics, with the people being the sole priority. We need to think about the progress of the labourers and farmers, not the elite class. The economy can no longer run just to benefit the elite, it has to benefit the poor.”, he remarked.
Bilawal added that he is the sole politician who has been doing politics since the age of 19 and added that he has served as the youngest foreign minister of the country for 18 months, and his hands are clean of any wrongdoing.
“It is extremely difficult to keep one’s hands clean in politics, and mine are devoid of the stains of corruption or the blood of the people,” He revealed that “we have an entire plan to double the wages within five years. We proved in the past too that the PPP made the most increase in the wages of the people. Now too, we plan on reaching our target of doubling wages within 5 years, as this is the only way to combat poverty”.
“This is not an unattainable feat, as we only need to provide the labourers and farmers with their rightfully earned income that they deserve. We should give them the same rates that we give international farmers”, the former minister claimed.
Addressing the youth, Bilawal said that every politician promises employment, but the PPP’s record is a testament to the fact that for us, it is not just a slogan but a fact.
He said that the PPP will initiate projects based on public-private partnerships as it has done successfully in Sindh so that the people can progress. “We will hold the investors accountable for the happiness and well-being of the labourers. Youngsters who were told that they would attain jobs and be able to support their families after acquiring education are now being pushed from pillar to post for employment. Employing youngsters in the country or abroad is the responsibility of the state,” he added.
“The PPP is going to come to power, and we introduced the BISP in the past to support the poorest of women in the country financially. This time, we are working on providing a ‘Youth Card’ to the youngsters, so that the process of getting employment is made easier”, he disclosed.
Addressing the women of the country, Bilawal said that his mother is no longer alive but he wishes to serve the women of the country just as a son would. He added that the women of the country supported Benazir and created history by making her the first woman prime minister in the Islamic world. He further said that he is aware of the difficulties and will solve the issues of the women by not only expanding the BISP but also providing employment to his sisters. “We have always believed in women’s empowerment.”
The party chairman further said that two-thirds of the country was submerged after catastrophic floods, and “we promised the flood victims that we would provide them with homes. Now, two million houses are being made for them and the ownership of the land is being given to the women to provide them with an asset that is of use to them.”
“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa too faces floods now and then, but the flood victims are paid no heed. We will bring our ‘Apna Zameen, Apna Ghar’ project to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and compensate for the suffering of the flood victims of the past too”, Chairman Bilawal stated.
Bilawal said that the onus of putting an end to the traditional politics of hate and division while establishing a ‘rule of the people’, is on the people themselves.
