GILGIT: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said he will stay in Gilgit-Baltistan till the PPP government is formed in the region.

He was addressing a corner meeting in Ghizar in connection with the party’s election campaign for the Nov 15 polls in GB.

Bilawal Bhutto paid rich tributes to the brave people of GB for getting their independence from the Dogra Raj.

He said some people were talking of a separate province of Gilgit-Baltistan, which the PPP had been advocating for a long time.

He pointed out that PPP founder and former prime minister late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had given the people of GB subsidy on food items and petroleum products. “The PPP founder gave the right to passport to every citizen and provided employment to them abroad. Similarly, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto brought democracy to GB, provided jobs and introduced lady health workers programme there,” he said.

He said former president Asif Ali Zardari gave the assembly, the governor and the chief minister to the people of GB. He also started BISP to help the poor.

He said the name of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had been engraved in the hearts of the people.

He claimed that CPEC project was conceived by former president Asif Zardari with the objective of ensuring development of backward areas of GB, ex-Fata and Balochistan.

The PPP chairman termed Imran Khan a selected person and the puppet Prime Minister of Pakistan.

He accused Imran Khan of giving NRO to sugar and wheat flour thieves. He also ridiculed him for talking about accountability of only opposition leaders.

“We want accountability which is across the board in which one law should be for everyone, including judges and generals.”

He asked the GB people to ensure PPP victory in the Nov 15 elections.

Meanwhile, a spokesman to former president Asif Zardari said on Sunday that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s political speech in Gilgit-Baltistan was against election rules, and asked that why the Election Commission of Pakistan did not take notice of the violation of election rules and regulations.

According to a press release, the spokesman said the federal ministers were also influencing the elections in GB.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2020