Bilawal launches membership drive, says to shun 'politics of negativity'

KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday launched the online membership drive of the party and invited all progressive citizens especially the youth and women, to join the ideology working for a peaceful, progressive and prosperous Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference, Bilawal elaborated the membership drive saying the campaign will be conducted door-to-door and camps, and internet and cellular modes including a website and SMS to reach out to those against extremism and politics of hatred. Furthermore, they will a hotline through where workers will be able to lodge complaints about the elected representatives and officer bearers of their area.

Bilawal said that membership drive has been designed to reduce gap between him and the workers, and enable him to communicate directly with the workers and members.

He called upon the people of Pakistan, especially the youth to join the service-oriented positive politics and show the doors to politics of negativity and insults being promoted by the other parties.

“Just like Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, we want to take politics to the grass root level and engage the common man, to be politically active.

“Others political parties are engaging in politics of negativity, and profanity and abuse, but PPP wants to give a quality message to the service oriented youth of the country,” he said and asked for support for making a peaceful and progressive Pakistan.

Bilawal strongly condemns police encounters

To a question from the journalists, Bilawal condemned the police encounters not just in Sindh but anywhere in the country and demanded ban on such encounters.

“Crime takes place in all big cities including murders and assassinations, and not just in Karachi. I strongly condemn police encounters, not just in Sindh, but across the country,” he said referring to the killing of a youth in a allegedly police encounter.

“The counter-terrorism strategy is sole based on encounters which is completed flawed. You cannot kill your wall through terrorism.”

He said that Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has taken action and has ordered an inquiry, and though SSP Rao Anwar has the right to defend themselves and to a fair trial.

Shahbaz Sharif will not be next PM

To yet another question, he said that Senate elections will be held as scheduled and Nawaz Sharif will be defeated. He said Shahbaz Sharif will not be the  the next prime minister even though he has been nominated by this brother.

“Nawaz Sharif previously said Shahbaz will be the next prime minister. Now he has brought his brother forward, but I still think he will not be the next prime minister,” he said.

He said that the PPP has already gone through the opposition which the now the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is going through, adding the Imran Khan has on several occasions attempted to divide the joint opposition, handing the benefit to Nawaz Sharif.

NFC Award not issued in over five years 

He said that it is unfortunate the the government has not announced the new National Finance Commission (NFC) despite governing over five years. He said the PPP wants peace across the country and will continue to raise voice for its rights.

Bilawal said that PPP launched BISP and now the Sindh government has started anti-poverty programme lending of interest-free loans to rural poor especially women. Furthermore, the 18th Amendment, devolution of powers, and NFC Award were also enacted to promote democratic values.

He said that under the philosophy of service-oriented politics, the PPP have provided state-of-the-art health facilities including free heart treatment at four satellite hospitals of NICVD in Hyderabad, Tando Mohammad, Larkana and Sehwan Sharif.