Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Tuesday that the Sindh government is working day and night to serve Karachi, despite the availability of limited resources.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Bilawal said the federal government is “not ready” to do anything for the people of Karachi.
Bilawal’s remarks come on the same day Prime Minister Imran Khan made a one-day visit to the provincial capital, where the cricketer-turned-politician inaugurated the ship lift and transfer system at the Karachi Shipyard.
PM Imran inaugurates ship lift and transfer system at Karachi Shipyard
Bilawal further said that from Karachi to Kashmir, people are looking towards the PPP as they believe it is the only party that can resolve their problems.
To a question regarding Abdul Qadir Baloch and Sardar Sanaullah Zehri joining PPP, he said that everyone is welcome to join.
“We believe that the federal government is unstable and illegitimate and general election can happen anytime,” he stated.
Talking about his party’s relationship with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), he said a united opposition can still hurt the federal government.
“As long as PPP was part of the PDM and its policy was followed by the group, the opposition was winning,” he claimed.
“The united opposition won the senate election and forced Prime Minister into taking a vote of no-confidence due to PPP's policy,” he said. In April, PPP decided to resign from the steering committee of the PDM after the party was served a show-cause notice by the opposition alliance.
Bilawal further noted that if the united opposition can bring a no-confidence motion against PM Khan, the federal government can "fall tomorrow."
To a question, if PPP is following someone’s directives, Bilawal said that his party only follows people’s directions. “We have not followed anyone’s directives in the past, and will never do in the future,” he asserted.
Talking about the provincial government’s development projects, he said that the federal is denying us resources that are our right according to the NFC award.
PPP has maintained that the federal government has shown bias against Sindh by deducting its funds under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), which amount to Rs900bn for the year 2021-22.
Explaining the federal government’s commitment to Karachi’s development, Bilawal said that the centre announced a major fund for the port city last year, but has not started a single project.
“This [federal] government is going soon, and PPP will form the new government,” he announced.
Answering a question on the surge in militant attacks in Pakistan, PPP’s chairman said that Imran Khan’s government should hold militants accountable instead of appeasing them. “The government should follow the National Action Plan (NAP) and implement it in its entirety.”
Unfortunately, Prime Minister is sympathetic to the militants, he said adding that the government should review its counter-terrorism policy.
“Unless that happens, the threat of militancy will remain,” he maintained.
Reacting to Bilawal's remarks, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib said that the Sindh government has only given hunger and poverty to people.
Sindh government is only focused on looting money and doesn't care about people, Habib said, adding that the federal government will do everything to support the people of Karachi.
The political strife between the PPP and the PTI has deepened with leaders from both parties engaging in a war of words several times.