ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Friday said that while his party supported the upcoming Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) march, it was yet to decide whether and to what extent it would participate in the anti-government protest.

The PPP chairman was talking to reporters after meeting former president Asif Ali Zardari, who had come to appear before the accountability court of Islamabad in the Park Lane case.

The accountability court was scheduled to indict Mr Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, and others on Friday. Since some suspects were not in attendance, the court directed the prosecution to produce all suspects on the next date and adjourned the proceedings without any progress till Oct 22.

Mr Zardari held a meeting with his son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and daughters Aseefa and Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari besides some PPP leaders.

Speaking to reporters, the former president conveyed his best wishes for the Azadi March, but added that the PPP chairman took all major decisions in consultation with the party leaders.

He said that the opposition parties were left with no option but to launch a protest against the incumbent government, adding that it was time for all political forces to unite against the regime that had crippled all business activities in the country and made it difficult for the common man to make both ends meet.

Responding to a question regarding the Azadi March scheduled for Oct 27, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that major opposition parties — including PPP and PML-N — wanted a joint protest and rally. He made a categorical announcement for participating in JUI-F-led Azadi March and said that PPP supported the said demonstration but would decide its course of action after internal meeting of the core committee.

He said they had only one difference with the JUI-F on the issue of sit-ins as the party never wanted to take part in any activity which would derail democracy in the country.

Responding to another question, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that the business community was so deeply concerned about the state of the economy and the government’s policies that they approached the army chief for redressal of grievances.

He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had made parliament dormant and the people had been forced to settle their problems through street protests.

He said that the government had failed to deliver and in such frustration he was sending his political opponents, including women, to jail.

Referring to the PTI’s manifesto, the PPP chairman said that instead of creating 10 million jobs for people, the incumbent government made millions jobless, adding that PTI had promised to build five million houses but it made thousands homeless.

He said that everyone knew that this government was a product of rigged elections and the PPP was the only party that continued to fight the selectors.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2019