Terming the federal budget for FY 2019-20 an 'economic suicide' and a PTIMF budget, Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Sunday that it is upon the opposition to foil the budget from passing in order to prevent 'economic suicide'.
Bilawal made these remarks during a media talk after meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz on her invitation at Jati Umra here on Sunday. The meeting was called in the wake of recent arrests of PPP co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari and Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
"We take it as anti-people budget which is essentially a PTIMF budget. We have seen that IMF is deciding who will be our finance minister, our state bank governor and our FBR chairman. And after that, when the budget was presented we were shocked at how the government had not left a single area which it had not taxed..." Bilawal said.
The PPP chairman said the budget is so bad and it is economic suicide. "If the government goes, let it. We gave them a chance to present a people-friendly budget. We would have voted for such a budget but they presented an anti-people budget. The PPP is left with no option. We will try our best to stop this budget from passing in the parliament," he declared.
Earlier, Bilawal accompanied by Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chaudhry Manzoor, Hasan Murtaza and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar held a meeting with Maryam. The PPP delegation was received by Maryam Nawaz, former Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Captain Safdar (retd), Ayaz Sadiq, Pervaiz Rasheed and Rana Sanaullah.
Following a detailed one-on-one meeting between Bilawal and Maryam, the PML-N issued a statement highlighting the major areas of conversation between the two leaders. While discussing the matter of national interest, both the opposition parties termed filing of references against the honourable judges as ill intent and an attack on the freedom of judiciary. "The government should take back the reference filed against the respected judges otherwise the opposition parties will struggle for their independence," they warned.
Bilawal and Maryam also asked Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser to issue production orders of all the members of the parliament currently under arrest and demanded that the Speaker to give up his 'biased behaviour'.
According to the statement, both the leaders were off the opinion that the country is suffering a decline in all walks of life and has been thrust into a deep quagmire of economic ruin. All economic indicators are pointing towards an extreme crisis.
It said despite Pakistan being "mortgaged off to international financial institutions and the charge of national institutions being handed over to strangers, the situation is rapidly worsening". The leaders also discussed the 'one-sided avenge tactics' being employed by the NAB along with the "targeted behaviour towards the opposition in collusion with the government". The current All-Parties Conference (APC) of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the joint strategy by the both parties was also discussed.
"Both the leaders also agreed that the current non-representative government does not represent the people's true mandate," the statement said, suggesting that talks must be held with leaders of other opposition parties so that a joint implementation strategy of the opposition can be devised.
The scope of joint implementation strategy would be extended to those parties as well who voted for the PTI in the elections or are part of its coalition "but they too are not in agreement with the government's policies", it added.
On Saturday, Maryam Nawaz said she had taken on board the top and senior party leadership, including her incarcerated father Nawaz Sharif and Opposition Leader in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, for her meeting with the PPP chairman.
Earlier in the day, PML-N leader and former Sindh governor Mohammad Zubair said the meeting itself would be a big political development. This meeting would be a matter of concern for the government. The two sides had already decided to launch a campaign against the government. We need to work together due to a number of problems, he added.
Criticising the government, he said the ruling regime lacks a competent team, plan and a vision. "It is an obligation for the opposition to make its presence felt."
However, former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah termed the meeting 'a routine matter.' He added that the two sides would discuss political scenario of the country. A decision about the agitation against the government will be taken in the APC. The PML-N would follow the decisions taken by the APC and not dictate the conference, he declared.
He said PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif has met with Bilawal a day back but if Bilawal wants to call on Shahbaz Sharif again, he can meet him.
In May, Maryam was invited to an Iftar hosted by Bilawal for opposition parties. Meanwhile, the opposition parties held a joint press conference and announced to launch protests inside and outside the parliament after Eidul Fitr and hold an All Parties Conference (APC) to devise a joint strategy on how to tackle the problems facing Pakistan.
It may be reminded that the leadership of PML-N and PPP first met in May in Islamabad describing the meeting informal to establish relationships with each other. However, the senior leaders of both the parties are seeing this meeting more significant for a joint movement against the government.
Some PML-N senior leaders are off the opinion that since the top leadership of both the parties was in jail, it is the time for young leadership to play aggressive role in politics to face the Imran government's vindictive actions against the opposition, attack on judges of superior courts and the anti-people budget.
In the first phase, a momentum will be built against the government on these issues while protest and demonstrations will be held in the next phase which will be led by Maulana Fazl most likely, added the leaders.
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