Pakistan cannot develop without development of Balochistan: Zardari

Former president Asif Ali Zardari said on Thursday that Balochistan was the “heart of Pakistan” and that the country would not develop without the development of Balochistan.

Addressing a rally in Quetta to mark Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) 56th foundation day, Zardari said there was much grief in Balochistan, which needed to be addressed.

“We tried to do it in our time but it was not enough,” he said, adding PPP wanted the people of Balochistan to take ownership of their land and resources.

The PPP co-chairman said that he would ensure water was made accessible for the people of the province. “Pakistan becomes an export country when Balochistan has [access to] water,” he said.

“We have formulas available on how to develop Pakistan, how to strengthen Balochistan, and how we have to serve you,” he added.

Zardari called Balochistan the heart of Pakistan, but lamented that Islamabad and other provinces did not share this view.

“Pakistan has everything. And Balochistan is the heart of Pakistan. Unfortunately, Islamabad does not see that Balochistan is the heart. The other provinces do not see it [either],” he lamented.

“But we see that Balochistan is the heart of Pakistan. And it is very important to win over this heart. Without winning over the heart of Balochistan, we cannot fix Pakistan.”

Bilawal calls for paradigm shift in politics

Earlier in the day, the PPP chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari announced that the party will introduce a new people’s charter of economy, adding that the country must move towards a new politics that unites instead of dividing people.

“We need a new type of politics, a politics in which we think of serving the people instead of our interests and ego, by which we can help our youth, workers, workers, farmers, and students in this difficult economic situation.”

Bilawal said that if his party comes into power, it will introduce a “youth card” that will help young people get vocational training, jobs, and access to sports facilities.

“Through this card, the youth will be encouraged to get an education,” he added. The PPP leader said that the party will also open offices that will give career services to the youth.

He further said the PPP will launch Kisan cards, which will support and give subsidies to farmers. He said these subsidies will be passed directly to the farmer instead of being given to mill owners.

His comments come as the Election Commission of Pakistan has announced elections will be held on February 8.

Earlier, Bilawal had said that the PPP is not just a political organisation but rather it is a movement that is determined to complete the unfinished mission of the party’s founding chairman Quaid-i-Awam Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

Last week it was reported that Bilawal had left for Dubai shortly after his father and PPP President Asif Ali Zardari publicly undermined his authority.

Zardari said Bilawal was still “under training” and “a new plant” who thought his father did not know anything.

Bilawal has launched a country-wide election campaign ahead of the general polls scheduled for next year. He has addressed huge public rallies in various cities across the country, including in Peshawar, Mardan, and Chitral, where he urged senior politicians to allow young politicians to lead the nation.