Bilawal distances himself from Zardari's advocacy of delimitations

PPP chairman kicks off mass contact drive, says constitution obligates elections within 90 days

BADIN (Dunya News) – Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday distanced himself from former president Asif Ali Zardari’s statement that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was bound to conduct fresh delimitation of constituencies.

Taking a differing stance on general elections, Bilawal told reporters in Badin where he officially kicked off his party’s mass contact campaign that holding elections within 90 days was a constitutional obligation.

He said that whenever the PPP came into power, public-friendly projects were launched.

“Now instead of sacrificing, the people must put a question: What did the government do for the public,” stated Bilawal whose party was also part of the PDM-led government which miserably failed to provide any relief to the masses.

The former foreign minister noted that the election schedule had not yet been announced,

Paying tribute to party workers, Bilawal said that the trends in local bodies’ elections indicated that the public was standing by the PPP.

The PPP chairman admitted that it was a difficult time for the people of Pakistan, observing that the economic situation had been deteriorating each passing day.

“People are finding it difficult to pay school fees of their children. People are worried about payment of their electricity bills,” he added.

“Addressing the problems facing the common man constitute our party manifesto,” Bilawal said, recalling that in the past, the PPP had, after coming into power, tackled the economic crises.

Sounding optimist that the PPP would come into power again, Bilawal said that he would not hold out any hollow promises regarding addressing the issues facing the country overnight. He however added that the common man had always been provided relief during the PPP governments.

Bilawal urged the people to support the PPP, adding that his party needed young leadership.

According to him, the PPP is the single alone choice as it can bring the country out of the quagmire it was in.

Bilawal opined that instead of trading allegations, one should work to find solutions to the problems facing the nation. “Instead of trading allegations, and driving divisions, the PPP wants to resolves the issues facing the people,” he averred.

Bilawal said that two different viewpoints had been deliberated upon during the PPP’s CEC (central executive committee) meeting. He said everybody spoke in favor of holding elections within 90 days in the light of the constitution of Pakistan. He said the CEC’s decisions were binding on him, and that the next CEC meeting would be held in Lahore.

To a question, the PPP chairman said if the depreciation of the Pakistan currency as well as the prices of electricity and petrol could be brought down with an iron rod, his party would never object.

He said that only the elected representatives of the people and not the interim government could take care of the hardships of the people. “Democracy is a panacea for all ills,” he added.

In his view, the caretaker government should do its job and continue running the policies of the former government.

Bilawal said the interim government could not formulate new policies, adding that he would have objections only if the caretakers tended to become chair-takers.

Bilawal also noted that inflation was at a historical record high.