LAHORE: PPP-Shaheed Bhutto (PPP-SB) Chairperson Ghinwa Bhutto has warned of serious repercussions if the PML-N government sends youth to take part in the ongoing Syrian conflict.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Ghinwa, who has Syrian-Lebanese origins, said: “Pakistan should refrain from meddling in the affairs of Syria. Sending our youth to Syria to fight against its government will amount to shooting in our own foot. We are sending them to death. When this youth return, it will bring back brutality and target minority groups here.”

Accompanied by Dr Mubashir Hasan, Ghinwa said Pakistan should stop begging and tax the rich heavily to generate resources.

Referring to the $1.5 billion aid from Saudi Arabia, she said the government could generate 20 times more if it brought the rich into the tax net. “We can avoid begging from any country only if the rich start paying tax,” she added.

“Drought in Thar and Cholistan are manmade. The Sharifs are spending huge money on roads, which should be spent on the people of these areas,” she added.

The PPP-SB leader further said Balochistan and Sindh were becoming more backward and there was a need for land reforms and empowering their people. She pinpointed flaws in the 20th Amendment saying the provinces should be given more share.

“Decentralisation under the amendment is in fact decentralisation of power of the ruling class of Islamabad to the ruling class of the provinces,” she said.

Ghinwa said nobody was getting justice except the ruling class. To a question about Fatima Bhutto and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior entering active politics, she said they had no such plans yet.