LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has cautioned the opposition parties that the masses crushed by inflation will become apathetic towards them if the parties don’t do politics for them.

“I warn all opposition parties that if the masses feel that these parties have not stood with them in the hour of need then the people suffering from inflation will too show their indifference to these parties in the next elections,” he said while talking to the media at the residence of local PPP leader Jameel Manj in Sundar, Raiwind, on Wednesday.

Responding to a query, Mr Bilawal hoped that Shahbaz Sharif would return soon and play the role of opposition leader as they (the opposition) expected. “Those who are absent (from country) will hopefully return and those who are silent for the time being too will break their silence.

He told a questioner that Maryam Nawaz had not appeared much on TV screen even during election campaign while now she was more concerned about treatment of her father (Nawaz Sharif), and criticised the government for not letting her go abroad to see her father.

Says ruling alliance is intact because of ‘magic’

‘Magic’, he said, when asked what force was keeping the ruling alliance intact despite so much differences.

“Alliances are made and maintained on political grounds. One will have to ask MQM and PML-Q friends if they kept in mind preferences of their respective constituents while making decision of siding with the incumbent government.”

He said the MQM went against its political future by supporting the government with which Karachiites were not comfortable and likewise, the people of Gujrat were not lovers of the government.

He said the magic won’t work longer as the PPP would repeatedly be exposing the ‘anti-masses nexus.’

Replying to a question, he said their focus was on how to rid the people of economic difficulties and that they’re ready to work with any party or workers to win economic justice for the masses.Answering a query about differences between the federal and Sindh government on the issue of transfer of inspector-general of police, the PPP chairman said the people of Sindh were being penalised for not supporting the ‘puppet’ government.

Recalling that Islamabad police chief had been transferred on a petty issue, while five police chiefs were transferred in Punjab during the last 15 months but the Sindh police chief was not being transferred though the provincial government had expressed its reservations on his performance as data showed rise in crime rate in each town of the province during the last one year, he said there should be one policy across the country.

He told a questioner that the government would have to work on improving economic conditions as the tactics of inviting foreign dignitaries won’t succeed in diverting attention of the masses.

About the Aziz Memon murder case, Mr Bilawal said he was ready to set up a judicial commission to probe the case or assign the investigation to a police officer the victim family considered as credible.

He said the story of terrorising and murdering journalists doesn’t stop at Aziz Memon and asked that which authority had got registered cases against journalists in Sindh and even in foreign countries under treason charges.

He said dictators who use force to occupy power corridors and abrogate constitutions are the traitors required to be tried under Article 6 and not journalists or other professionals.

He lamented that the court that had taken the courage to declare one of the dictators a traitor was itself termed a traitor and illegal (by a higher court) a week after the verdict.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2020