KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Monday responded to reports of differences between his party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). There are no “political differences”.
The People’s Party Committee will once again meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif today. There is no political difference with PMLN, but there may be a difference in policy. I hope that in the future we will move forward in the light of the Charter of Democracy, Bilawal Bhutto said while talking to the media after the swearing-in ceremony of Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab and Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah.
His comments came after differences between the PPP and the PML-N over administrative matters related to the Punjab province and the federal budget. People’s Party members expressed their concerns with Bilawal and said that the government is not paying attention to their requests.
“There has been a good working relationship with PMLN leaders. However, it is our right to have a difference of opinion and we will continue to raise it at the relevant forum,” the PPP chairman said.
Bilawal said that he does not see any political differences with PMLN in the future.
Talking about his party’s concerns, the chairman said that the PPP wants an uncontroversial census, adding that they had issues with the previous census as well. “I think this census will continue to be controversial in the future,” he added.
Bilawal also spoke about the funds for the rehabilitation of the flood victims in Sindh, expressed hope that the issue of booking of funds would be resolved and the federal government would contribute to the relief.
He further said that the manifesto of the party will be presented to the entire nation. He also said that People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari is returning soon and will go to Lahore.
He said that the elected representatives, irrespective of the party, are now one and they have to work together for public welfare. He advised Jamaat-e-Islami to work together for the people of Karachi.
He said that Jamaat-e-Islami is trying to capture the city with the support of Lahore’s Zaman Park.
Bilawal said that the prosperity of Karachi is now his responsibility and he will personally see the problems of the city. He said that being elected mayor and deputy mayor from People’s Party in Karachi is a historic victory. He said that those who are accusing him of rigging, will be answered by his performance for the city. He said that in 1979, 1983, 2001, the People’s Party could not elect its mayor in Karachi due to rigging, but today, when the era of dictators and selectors is over, the People’s Party is winning in the entire country, including Kashmir. .
The foreign minister said that the city’s problems are related to the federal government, but the provincial government will also support Mayor Karachi. He emphasized that under the leadership of Wahab, Karachi will witness the best local government setup. He said that his slogan in the municipal elections was “Our Karachi” due to which the politics of hatred and division were buried in the city. He said that the party will put its manifesto before the people in the upcoming general elections.
Talking about the issue of K-IV, he said that the People’s Party has been raising the issue of water shortage in Karachi for a long time. He said that the water project was delayed in different periods of different governments. He said that in the current budget, the Prime Minister has kept a major part of the allocation for the K-IV project.
Earlier, Barrister Murtaza Wahab and Salman Abdullah Murad took oath as Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Karachi here at Gulshan Jinnah, formerly known as Polo Ground.
Sindh Provincial Election Commissioner Ejaz Anwar Chauhan took oath separately from Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Apart from Bilawal, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tesori, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and provincial ministers were also present on this occasion.
The other day, Bilawal had said that his party would refrain from ratifying the recently announced budget in the National Assembly unless promises made to the party regarding flood-affected areas were fulfilled.
Last week, a high-level meeting was held between the two political bodies under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister. However, the PPP Chairman was unable to attend the meeting as he was out of Islamabad.
