Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Sunday said that Prime Minister Khan would flee London whereas he was to stay with the people of Pakistan, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Addressing the party workers in Lahore’s Nasir Bagh, the PPP chairman said that it was just a beginning and he had plans to play long innings.
“We want free and fair elections in the country. For this purpose, the ‘puppet’ Imran Khan needs to be ousted. In his presence, transparent elections cannot be held,” he said.
“We will launch a ‘democratic attack’ on the ‘undemocratic’ government in Islamabad. We will then introduce election reforms and conduct free and fair elections in the country,” he added.
“We want public representatives to be elected by the people. Only the PPP can give real representation to the people,” he said, adding that solution to the people’s problems lay in transparent elections.
“We are struggling for the people’s right to rule,” he stated.
He also maintained that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto did the politics of public service, adding that Imran Khan had made the politics remorse.
He also blamed the prime minister for destroying the national economy and foreign policy of Pakistan. “I have no idea what is being done to the country,” said Bilawal.
The PPP chief deplored that the federal ministers were being awarded commendation certificates despite the fact their performance was zero.
He also expressed his gratitude to the people of Lahore for according to the PPP’s long march a warm welcome and said that the slogan of “bread, cloth, and house” had started from Lahore.
“Lahore is PPP’s and the PPP is Lahore’s,” he pointed out and invited the residents of the provincial capital to join the PPP.
He also expressed his admiration for the Jiyalas of Lahore and said that the Jiyalas of Lahore were the bravest and the most loyal.
He maintained that the ‘puppet’ announced a decrease in petrol prices because he was afraid of Jiyalas, adding that Imran Khan deceived youths the most.
“I am also a youth, and only a youth can understand the problems of youths,” Bilawal said and added that the PPP would introduce a standard education system in the country.
He also recalled his late mother Benazir and said that she was the voice of women, youths and deprived segments of society. He also stated that Benazir was an ‘unarmed girl’ who challenged the dictators and terrorists.
The PPP chairman stressed that it was the government’s responsibility to provide a livelihood to the people and maintained that the PPP provided livelihood to the people and ensured economic progress.
He also pointed out that only an elected person could solve public problems, adding that the selected got no solution to the people’s problems because he always looked at the umpire’s finger.
“The PPP workers render great services and sacrifices for the party. The PPP is just like a family. Those who leave family finally come back,” he said.
After the address, the PPP’s long march stopped briefly in front of Sheikh Ali Hajveri (RA) shrine, commonly known as Data Darbar, where Bilawal and other PPP leaders made ‘dua’ while standing on the container.
The participants of the long march also participated in ‘dua’.
The march then started its journey towards Islamabad. Continuing the long march on the GT Road, Bilawal reached Shahdara, Imamia Colony, Muridke, Sadhoki, and Kamonki and addressed the charged workers of the party.
When the PPP's Awami March reached Kamonki, Bilawal Bhutto and the marchers were warmly welcomed and greeted with fireworks.
The next stopover of the long marchers was Gujranwala city where Bilawal also addressed a public rally arranged in the Sheraanwala Bagh.
Addressing the rally in Gujranwala, Bilawal said Imran Khan is a liar, his father was terminated from service on a corruption case. He said Imran has fixed wrong allegations of selling film tickets in Bambino Cinema in Karachi on Asif Ali Zardari.
Replying to PM Imran in his speech in Gujranwala, Bilawal said it was not Asif Ali Zardari but his father Hakim Ali Zardari who had agricultural land and sold out the Bambino Cinema at once as an owner but Imran Khan should tell the people the reality of his own background.
He aggressively asked PM Imran, “Who are you? You have been caught in the case of foreign funding.
In Gujranwala, some prominent wrestlers including Sitara Pakistan Riaz Pehlwan with his teammates also joined the PPP Long March. The wrestlers were also carrying their ‘Gurz’ (Mace) as pride and unique identity of them in the society.
Earlier, the PPP chairman while delivering a ‘deadline’ to the prime minister, asked Imran Khan to tender his resignation before the tabling of the no-confidence motion against him in the National Assembly.
He was addressing a presser in Lahore along with former adviser to PM Nadeem Afzal Chan Sunday who on the occasion announced his return to the PPP, saying it was a mistake to join the PTI.
Bilawal said that the government was under immense pressure those days and issued a deadline to the premier asking him to step down before the tabling of the no-trust motion. He asked PM Khan to dissolve assemblies if he had confidence in people.
“The prime minister has already threatened to dissolve assemblies,” Bilawal said and added: “He should do it right now.”
Hitting out at the premier, the PPP chairman said that the nation had been listening to Khan Sahib’s rhetoric for the last three years adding that he was in the habit of taking U-turn on every issue. He was of the view that no-confidence was a mega test for the government.
He said if Imran Khan did not resign from the premiership then they would bring a no-confidence motion against him after reaching Islamabad.
“We have defeated the government in the National Assembly before and we will beat it again,” Bilawal roared.
The PPP chief said though it (no-trust move) was a difficult task but they would have to work hard on it and try it.
“At the time of no-confidence motion, it will be revealed who stays neutral and who backs the move,” he said meaningfully adding that he believed that government did not enjoy the confidence of the majority in the house, rather the majority had been imposed.
Bilawal said that whatever decision the joint opposition took, the PPP would accept that.
He divulged that the opposition trio - PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and PDM Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman – would meet again soon to discuss opposition’s anti-government overtures.
On a vitriolic question posed by a journalist regarding PML-N, the PPP chairman told him off saying ‘don’t try to ignite a fight between the ‘N’ and PPP’.
On this occasion, Chan said that his erstwhile decision to defect to the PTI was a mistake. Bilawal, however, welcomed him back to the party fold.
Earlier, Bilawal reached the residence of former SAPM Nadeem Afzal Chan in Lahore along with other PPP leaders including Qamar Zaman Kaira, Khursheed Shah, Sherry Rehman, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and others.
Chan welcomed Bilawal Bhutto and other party leaders.
24NewsHD reported earlier that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Afzal Chan has decided to rejoin Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
Chan resigned from the post of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Coordination. In Oct 2017, Nadeem resigned from the post of Secretary-General of PPP Punjab and joined PTI. He contested the general elections on the party ticket from NA-88 (Sargodha -I), but lost the contest. His brother Gulraiz Afzal Chan is currently a PTI member of the Punjab Assembly from the PP-68 constituency of Malakwal.
Reporters: Rana Zahid, Muhammad Kamran, Fasihullah