MANSEHRA: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that Nawaz Sharif is not innocent, rather he has been convicted and expelled from prime minister’s office because of his corruption and misdeeds.

Addressing a public gathering here on Saturday, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said: “Mian Sahib, you ask people what your crime is and why the apex court de-seated you. I tell you this: you are a criminal who has plundered national wealth and have been disqualified by the apex court forever.”

He said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz were “parties of traitors”, adding that both would be rejected by people in the coming general elections.

“Both Mian Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan are running after prime minister’s office, but I am in politics to serve the masses, generate employment opportunities and bring women on a par with men,” the PPP leader said. Addressing the audience, he said, “If you think I am sincere, give me your support.”

He said that Mr Sharif talked about revolution, the rule of law and civil supremacy though (using) these (terms) did not suit him.

“Mr Sharif, your GT Road show has flopped... talk of revolution never suits you because you are product of a dictator and have never strived for supremacy of civil rule,” he said.

He said that Mr Sharif has increased his bank balance but buried the nation under rubble of loans.

Takes potshot at ousted prime minister Sharif

Mr Bhutto-Zardari reiterated his party’s allegation that (in the past) Mr Sharif had ‘hatched conspiracies against democracy and received funds from the late Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden to the destabilise elected government of his mother Benazir Bhutto.

He spent about 20 minutes of his speech lashing out at Mr Sharif and PTI chief Imran Khan. Targeting the latter, he said that the coming general elections would be his (Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s) first and Mr Khan’s last poll.

He said that Mr Khan insisted that a leader should be Sadiq and Ameen, but “whenever he takes the rostrum, he comes up with a new lie.”

He asked Mr Khan to say something about “corruption committed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minster” while mentioning that the PTI leader proudly boasted about the arrest of a sitting minister by the accountability commission constituted by the KP government.

“Your are proud of the arrest of a minster of your party’s government but what would you say about corruption allegations levelled by that minster against your chief minister,” he said.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari didn’t spare Mr Khan either and alleged that “his kitchen and Jahangir Tareen’s helicopter run on kickbacks received in lieu of awarding minerals’ contracts”.

He said the PTI chairman kept on repeating the mantra of ‘a new Pakistan’ and ‘change’, but no visible change could be seen in KP where people were jobless and hospitals offered no service.

He said that the PTI-led government in KP had no role in ending terrorism from the province.

“Terrorism came to a halt because of the sacrifices rendered by security forces and police. Credit doesn’t go Imran Khan as he has never uttered a word against terrorists.”

The central and local leaders of the PPP also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2017