PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday called on the public to give someone new a chance in the February 8 general election instead of choosing the same prime minister for the “second or 14th time”.

“Instead of making someone the prime minister for the second or 14th time, we should give a chance to someone who hasn’t been given the chance before,” he said while addressing a PPP workers’ convention in Abbottabad.

The former foreign minister said “new politics” would have to be pursued to transform Pakistan into a modern nation. “We will have to make old politicians sit at home,” he said. “Now the time has come that you all rest now,” he said.

Terming “old politics” and decisions taken in backdoor rooms the country’s biggest enemy, the PPP chief said Pakistan could not grow or succeed till the public’s vote was not respected. He said that the solution to the country’s problems lay in serving the public with the right intention, ideology, manifesto and will.

“I am only looking at the public, I want to become the laadla (favourite) of the public,” Bilawal said.

Commenting on his tenure as the foreign minister, he said that he had proved that youngsters performed when they were given a chance to deliver. “If you give us a chance, I promise you that I will never disappoint you and I will serve you day and night,” he told the people attending the convention.

He said 70 per cent of Pakistan’s population was comprised of youngsters below the age of 30.

“We now need to think about whether we will vote for septuagenarians and leave our future in the hands of those who only think of themselves or if we should give a chance to the PPP, the party that thinks about the future,” he said.

Bilawal said if the PPP was given a chance again, it would increase the amount allocated to the Benazair Income Support Programme and would also introduce new social welfare programmes.

Concluding his address, Bilawal said he only believed in his politics and manifesto, adding “this is why I don’t look at anyone for support”. He said “old politics” destroyed the country in 2018 and vowed to not accept the same again.