THATTA: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said he is waiting for the Supreme Court’s judgement in the Panama Papers case after which the decision to contest by-election and enter parliamentary politics will be taken.

Talking to journalists after inaugurating the 1.7km-long Sir Aga Khan bridge on the Indus at Jhirk-Mulakatiar on Monday, he said the track record showed that verdicts had never come against the Sharif brothers. “We are not hopeful about the [Panamagate case] verdict, but definitely we are waiting to take decision [to contest by-election] and then things would be clear,” he said.

The PPP chief said the National Action Plan must be implemented in letter and spirit because it was necessary to restore peace in the country. “Extremism is a big challenge for our nation and we all have to fight against it.”

In reply to a question about Irfanullah Marwat, the PPP chairman said: “It was just a meeting [between Asif Ali Zardari and Mr Marat] and no decision was taken.” He said there was a misunderstanding that Mr Marwat had joined the PPP, adding that no decision had been taken about him.

PPP chief inaugurates 1.7km bridge on Indus

He claimed that the PPP was the first government which had taken up the issue of providing clean drinking water to the people of Sindh, adding that the provincial government was taking necessary measures for the purpose.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari praised Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah for constructing the longest bridge on the Indus.

Mr Shah said the Sir Aga Khan bridge had been constructed under a public-private partnership at a cost of Rs4.5 billion. It will connect Thatta and Tando Mohammad Khan and their adjoining areas with the motorway (old Super Highway).

The chief minister announced that all other connecting roads in Tando Mohammad Khan, Badin, Hyderabad and Tharparkar would also be constructed.

He said he was striving to provide quality education and health services to the people of the province, adding that the network of roads in areas of lower Sindh would bring about prosperity in the entire belt and boost agricultural economy because of their access to main markets.

Mr Shah said the development of road network would help transport machinery from the Karachi port for coal-fired power projects launched in Thar.

He said Thar had given special attention to law and order, particularly the ongoing wave of terrorism. “We have defeated the terrorists and will crush them again in their nefarious designs to weaken the country and halt its development by killing our innocent people,” he said, adding that through good education “we would defeat the mindset of extremism”.

Earlier, the PPP chairman and CM Shah inaugurated the bridge by unveiling the plaque.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2017