HYDERABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that a coalition government could be the likely outcome of the July 25 elections. He urged “undemocratic forces” to trust people and let them make their decision in the elections.

The young PPP chairman addressed a number of public meetings and spoke to the media at several places during his whirlwind tour of Hyderabad, Matiari, Badin, Tando Jam and other areas on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters at the residences of senior party colleagues Syed Naveed Qamar and (interned) candidate for PS-63 Hyderabad Sharjeel Inam Memon, Bilawal said: “Of course, coalition government can be the likely outcome of present elections.”

Accompanied by Syed Naveed Qamar, former chief ministers Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Syed Murad Ali Shah and many other party leaders, Bilawal answered several questions posed by reporters.

About claims of pressure being exerted on Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidates in Punjab to contest as independent candidates, he said this must not take place but it was not happening in Punjab alone. “It’s also being seen in Sindh, where PPP candidates are complaining about such pressures. But such pressures could not deter the party and candidates. Through pressure tactics, our candidates are forced to join some other party,” he said. He also claimed that PPP workers are harassed to force them to stop working for the party; this had happened in Lyari, but PPP was least concerned about it.

Regarding the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), he said that it is a puppet alliance and if anyone wanted to make people join the GDA, then let it be so.

He said that people were not concerned about such alliance or mujhe kyon nikala slogan as they wanted a government that could strive for their welfare.

“But we have to be focused on our goals ... we have to be focused on our aims,” he remarked. Alliances like GDA, he said, had always been formed but the media should not try to present them as something new.

He said that hurdles would be created in his way and security issues like Lyari incidents would take place but he is least bothered about it.

He said that the services rendered by the two former CMs had no parallel in Sindh’s history but there was always room for improvement and PPP had to address issues of people.

Bilawal said that PPP always fought for its ideology and policy and not winning or losing polls. “I have entered politics to complete the mission of my mother as I am under obligation to do that, come what may,” he declared.

Lambasting PPP’s opponents crying over water shortage, he wondered who were those who wanted to build dams with the help of dictators and those who had supported the 1991 Water Accord; and now the very forces wanted to build a dam with court’s help. He said that neither Punjab nor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government completed a single water project but PPP lined 1,800km of irrigation channels and installed 2,000 reverse osmosis plants. And now conspiracy was afoot to close them to discontinue water supply to people, he deplored.

The PPP chairman conceded that these initiatives are not enough as PPP had to collaborate with the federal government for desalination plants. “Federal government will have to release Sindh’s funds so that we are able to set up these plants,” he said.

In reply to a question about a visit of the chief justice of Pakistan to a Rawalpindi hospital along with Sheikh Rashid, he said that he did not see that but it obviously conveyed a wrong message if a judge visited a place with a candidate. “I believe that institutions should work within their limit as defined by the Constitution.”

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2018