Bilawal castigates ‘some politicians’ for conspiring against country

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday castigated the recently-formed PTI-led grand opposition alliance, saying that some politicians are hatching a conspiracy against the country under pretext of poll rigging claims.

The former foreign minister made these remarks while addressing a public gathering at Garhi Khuda Bakhsh in connection with 45th death anniversary of former prime minister Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Lambasting the opposition alliance, Bilawal Bhutto said that some politician wanted to launch Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) II – referring to a nine-party alliance launched in 1977 against the Bhutto-led government.

“Due to those conspiratorial politicians, the country faced ten years of dictatorship [Gen Ziaul Haq’s tenure] and even today such politicians are doing the same which is a threat to the country,” he noted.

He pointed out that many forces did not believe in democracy and used to hatch conspiracies but President Asif Ali Zardari foiled their designs. “Now they are hatching conspiracy against the country and its economy under pretext of poll rigging,” he added.

Bilawal warned that if the democracy is derailed, masses would be the first who suffer loss, urging the politicians to ‘work together’ and steer the country out of crisis.

He also emphasised “national reconciliation” for betterment of Pakistan, noting that the country would not progress if they do the “politics of abuses”.

A day earlier, PTI-led opposition alliance — including Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP), Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) — launched its protest movement with a power show in Pishin.

The six-party alliance launched the movement against the alleged massive rigging in the February 8 general elections.