DADU: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that now that the electioneering has reached a crescendo and election is round the corner, attempts are being made to make the polls’ process controversial.

Bilawal said at a rally at Moundar Naka here on Sunday that his party had faced and defeated many alliances in its history. Alliances were made against Benazir Bhutto as well and she and her party courageously fought them off and defeated them. PPP would once again beat such alliances, he said.

He said that he was pursuing the political programme of his slain mother, which was aimed at safeguarding the interests of the country and people. He was doing politics of principles, he said.

His party’s manifesto was people-friendly which would greatly benefit farmers and farm workers. PPP was the only political party which was fighting against poverty and terrorism and was struggling for the rights of the poor, he said.

He said the material proof of PPP’s people friendly policies was Benazir Income Support Programme which had contributed enormously to poverty reduction across the country.

He said that after coming to power, PPP government would extend loans to women who could play a positive role in improving economy. No other political party had taken steps to raise standard of people’s life and said it was only PPP which had introduced policies for the welfare of people, he said.

Bilawal said that PPP, after coming to power, would register farmers and provide them farmer cards through which they would directly receive interest-free loans without any hassle.

He said that if farmers faced losses in crops for any reason, they would be able to withstand it through their card. The party would also introduce food cards for the poor to receive essential food items, he said.

He said the food stores to be run by women would remain open for the food card holders and they would greatly help fight poverty and unemployment. Like the promises made by Z.A. Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto which had already been fulfilled whatever he was promising would also be met, he said.

He said that PPP was not fighting against any political party, PPP’s fight was against poverty and unemployment. No other party could bring about positive change and only PPP was harbinger of genuine change, he said.

He said earlier at a public gathering before the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan that PPP had always struggled against non-democratic elements. A weak democracy was better than a strong dictatorship, he said.

He said that PPP had always solved people’s problems and it was perhaps the only party which had to face several challenges in its history.

Former Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that PPP would once again sweep election by trouncing the rivals and form government single-handedly.

Other PPP leaders, including the party candidate for NA-233 Sardar Sikandar Ali Rahupoto and Malik Asad Sikandar also spoke at the rally. The PPP chairman visited the shrine of Qalandar after addressing the rally and offered fateha.

Bialwal also spoke at rallies and gatherings in Bhan Syedabad, Khudabad, Kakar and Khairpur Nathan Shah.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2018