LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that instead of engaging in mudslinging politics, politicians need to focus on Pakistan.
Addressing a seminar on “Bhutto Reference and History”, organised by the PPP Central Punjab Information Bureau at the Alhamra Hall here on Sunday, the PPP chairman said that the judicial verdict by the Supreme Court in Bhutto reference was the result of long and hard struggle of the workers of the party and 30 years long similar struggle of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. He said that this reference was sent to the Supreme Court by President Asif Ali Zardari to get justice for Quaid-e-Awam Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, adding the court heard the case and came to conclusion that justice was not done to ZAB and the trial against him was not just. ‘We consider this decision as historic and now when the court itself has admitted that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s punishment was wrong, we should carry out judicial reforms.’ He said that the judiciary can also bring its
own reforms but this is primarily the function of the parliament.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that we had agreed on judicial reforms in the Charter of Democracy (CoD) whereas, he added the 90 per cent CoD have been implemented while only 10 per cent remain. He said that we had to do these reforms including establishing a constitutional court and the procedure for appointment of judges. The PPP will try to bring these reforms so that the judiciary is strengthened and people are provided justice and injustice meted out to Quaid-e-Awam is not repeated, he said.
Bilawal said that at the moment, we have politics of hatred in our society and politics has been changed to personal enmity. ‘We in our society do not respect the difference of opinion, ‘ he added. He said that the PPP always believes in political negotiations and reconciliation despite all this. He said the 1973 constitution was the result of consensus and the 18th amendment in the constitution was done with consensus at the time of Asif Ali Zardari as
President. ‘ We did all this by taking every political force in the parliament on board,’ he added. Bilawal Bhutto said that the people are troubled by price-hike, unemployment and poverty. In addition to these, he said terrorism is also an issue for the country and the people. He said that if politicians do not talk to each other, how these issues could be resolved. He said that President Zardari gave a message of reconciliation in his address to the joint Parliament but it was unfortunate that the people who do not want reconciliation, made hue and cry. This behaviour was not appropriate in the Parliament, he added. Bilawal said that our Party’s training was conducted by the late Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Our character should match their training and we should represent those great leaders, he said.
He said that during the recent general elections, the PPP had an ideology, a manifesto and a campaign. We had our 10-point manifesto, he said. He said that the PPP has the solution of the issu
es of the people. He said that now after the elections, every government whether the federal government or the provincial governments are implementing the points of our manifesto. He said that in his inaugural speech the Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif accepted that the ministries which are still with the federal governments have to be devolved. He said the PPP manifesto had given the idea of solar energy and now Punjab province is adopting that point of our manifesto and we should welcome this. When we announced to give ‘Kissan Card’ during election campaign, we were criticised but now the Punjab government will distribute the Kissan Card among farmers, he said. He said that if half of our manifesto is implemented, the people will get big relief. He said the PPP will show that we will play a positive role and we will solve people’s issues. This positive role and politics will take the country forward, Bilawal concluded.
While addressing the seminar, PPP Central Punjab President Raja Pervez Ashraf sa
id that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto never held back protocol; he always preferred to stay among his people. He said that ZAB consistently raised his voice against feudalism and capitalism; people trusted Bhutto’s personality. He said Bhutto gave the common man the right to vote. Party’s several leaders and workers also spoke to the seminar.