KARACHI, Nov 30 (APP): Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the rights of the people, strengthening the federation, and ensuring national security.
He said that he would not support any action that weakens the federation or amounts to an assault on the rights of the provinces.
Addressing the largest digital public gathering in the country’s history on the occasion of the Party’s 58th Foundation Day. Through a video link from Bilawal House’s Media Cell, he addressed simultaneous events held in more than 100 cities across Pakistan. He said that Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan are like brothers to one another. “Together, we can confront Modi,” he added.
On this occasion, First Lady Bibi Aseefa Bhutto Zardari was also present on stage alongside Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while Senator Waqar Mehdi, General Secretary of PPP Sindh chapter, conducted and moderated this historic digital gathering.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed joy over the successful holding of the largest digital public meeting. “Today, we have created history,” he said. He added that Foundation Day events were being held in every district of the country, attended by the soldiers of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the brothers and sisters of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. He said: “At this moment, I am addressing you from here to Muzaffarabad in Azad Kashmir, I am addressing the people of Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan and all other districts, I am addressing the brave people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, I am speaking to the valleys of Punjab and our comrades in South Punjab, I am speaking to my brothers in Balochistan and, at the same time, to the Jeyalas of Sindh.”
He said that the history of the PPP is deeply connected with the country’s past and future. Highlighting the historic contributions of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he said that the Quaid-e-Awam gave the nation democracy, the unanimous Constitution of 1973, and a philosophy aimed at economically empowering the underprivileged.
Paying tribute to Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, he pointed out that after the judicial murder of the Quaid-e-Awam, she confronted two dictators and struggled for 30 years for the restoration of the Constitution and democracy, and for the protection of her people’s rights.
The Chairman said that after the martyrdom of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the PPP carried her flag forward with honour. He said that President Asif Ali Zardari upheld the mission by restoring the Constitution of Quaid-e-Awam through the 18th Amendment, and by launching revolutionary initiatives such as the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in line with the philosophy of “Roti, Kapra aur Makaan,” which has provided financial assistance to millions of impoverished women across the country. He added that during President Asif Ali Zardari’s first term, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was given its rightful name, and Balochistan was granted its due through the Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan package. Furthermore, by devolving powers to the grassroots level and introducing a new NFC Award, all provinces were given their constitutional rights.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while appreciating the role of the Pakistan Armed Forces in Pakistan’s victory in the recent Pakistan-India war, said that the armed forces brought honour to the nation across the world by shooting down seven Indian fighter jets. He also expressed satisfaction over the government of the time and its foreign policy in the backdrop of the war with India.
He warned that even now, enemies are actively engaged in conspiracies against Pakistan. He said that through acts of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the “enemy is attempting to destabilise Pakistan”. He added that on one hand, India is eyeing Pakistan’s borders with malicious intent, while on the other hand, tensions are rising in Pakistan’s bilateral relations with Afghanistan.
Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari emphasised that, given the challenges facing the country, the new wave of terrorism and the conspiracies of hostile nations must be confronted with unity. He said that politics must be conducted in a manner that prevents the enemy from exploiting our internal political differences. ‘We are the only political party that has consistently engaged in positive politics. We move forward by keeping politics within its democratic bounds, he added.
Speaking about the recent 27th Constitutional Amendment, the PPP Chairman said that his party has always believed in consensus when it comes to constitutional and legislative matters. He said that the establishment of a Constitutional Court was part of the Charter of Democracy (CoD), but it could not be implemented under the 18th Amendment. He said that through the 27th Amendment, the Constitutional Court has now been created, with equal representation given to all provinces, a major achievement of the PPP.
He further said that the judges of the Federal Constitutional Court now carry a heavy responsibility to uphold the public’s trust in the judiciary. Those political elements attempting to create controversy around this parliamentary action should understand that constitution-making is the prerogative of Parliament. It is not within the authority of any judge or the court to decide which amendment may or may not be made. “This is not their mandate, nor will we allow them such authority,” he said, and stressed that all institutions must work strictly within their constitutional domains.
Chairman of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that when the government approached his party for the approval of the 27th Constitutional Amendment, the proposal included not only the establishment of a Constitutional Court and amendments to Article 243, but also several other points.
These included the restoration of the magistracy system at the district level, taking back from the provinces the authority to prepare educational curricula and matters related to population control, and ending the constitutional protections that provinces enjoy in the NFC. He said that the PPP safeguarded the provinces’ constitutional protection with respect to the NFC, and that had this amendment been approved, Punjab would have suffered the most, followed by Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Chairman of PPP said that the PPP will not support any amendment or step that weakens the federation. He continued that there are many fault lines in the country which the PPP addressed through political, administrative, and economic measures, thereby strengthening the federation. He said, “Through the NFC, we buried separatist politics.” He warned that those trying to tamper with the NFC or the 18th Amendment are “playing with fire.” He said, “We believe that if the provinces are strong, the federation will be strong.”
Addressing the government, he said that it is witnessing how the Indian Defence Minister is making aggressive statements about Sindh and how tensions are rising along the Afghan border. He said that the PPP is the party that dares to make every sacrifice for the defence of the country. He added that Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had said we are ready to make every sacrifice necessary to make Pakistan a nuclear power.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stressed that to counter terrorism, the state must not only establish its writ but also adopt a “proactive soft power” approach. He said that, along with other necessary measures in this war, efforts must also be made “to win the hearts and minds of the people”.
Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the leader of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan breathed his last Thursday night at Lahore, his party announced. He was 55.
