Government needs to review its fiscal policy: Bilawal

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Monday said that the government needs to review its fiscal policy, adding Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government (PTI) needs to learn from the PPP government as how it had provided relief to the masses during 2008-13.
The PPP chairman while addressing a press conference said that despite the recession, the PPP government 'fought with international institutions' for sake of the people.
"The PTI must learn how the PPP had tackled economic challenges during 2008-13," he said. "Despite global recession, terrorism, two floods and an environment of war, the PPP fought and provided 6.8 million jobs to the masses, increased across the board salaries by 150 percent and did whatever was possible for the poor people. You can do the same as per your promise," he reminded the government.
The PPP leader said that the impending bailout package of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) must be passed through the Parliament. "We don't even know about the IMF programme," he noted.
"The public will not agree if you go stealthily and sign the IMF deal and this would be illegal. You will have to bring the IMF deal to the Parliament and get it passed from the National Assembly; otherwise we and the public won't accept it."
Bilawal criticised PM's Adviser on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh for not addressing the Parliament. "Forget that, he has not even faced the camera to shed light on the state of the economy and the stabilisation measures he has in store," he said.
"The way they are running the economy, there will be a reaction from the poor spectrum of the society. If you want to create fiscal space and burden someone then burden the rich like Jahangir Tareen. For the rich you have an amnesty scheme but for the poor, you have inflation," he said.
Reiterating his stance against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Bilawal said that there are separate laws for the poor and the rich. "The laws of the dictator and democracy cannot co-exist," he maintained. He said that in the matter of fake accounts, the probing authority cannot utilise double standard.
He termed NAB a tool being used to victimise the opposition parties, saying the accountability watchdog has filed references "conveniently" against certain political leaders while letting others go scot-free.
PPP leader Sharjeel Memon, Bilawal said, has been languishing in jail but the charges against him are yet to be proven.
He branded the government's accountability drive as "hypocritical," saying that "NAB and democracy can't go hand in hand."
"There was a Prime Minister Junejo who said that martial law and democracy can't go together. In the same way, the NAB's black law and our democracy can't be run simultaneously."
"You cannot have a double policy for benami accounts. Jahangir Tareen's benami accounts are clean but the [other] mill owners' are thieves if they do the same. The businesses of those who use hawala to move their funds would cease functioning if they are branded as thieves and thugs," he said.
Bilawal said, "You can send my entire party to jail but we will not change our principled stance on the 18th Amendment, presidential form of government, military courts, freedom of the press and democracy." He said that PPP has both the options open to launch an anti-government drive and to ask the government to conduct fresh elections.
Bilawal said military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor should not give political statements, adding that defence minister, interior minister and other relevant ministers must come forward to give policy statements on respective matters.
"I think if the government has something to say then a respective minister should come out and say it, we respect our institutions and don't want to see them being made controversial in any way," he maintained.
When asked if his party backs the PTM, he said, "Our party only supports the PPP alone. However, if other political groups stand for democracy and human rights then we back those ideas."
Bilawal said the government in last nine months has failed to provide relief to the masses, adding, "It is baffling to see how they [government] accept that they can't help Pakistanis."
When asked about treatment of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he prayed for Sharif's health and said the PPP has no objection if Sharif is allowed to go abroad on medical grounds.