Pakistan Peoples Party (ppp) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday vowed to ensure the constitutional rights of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan if voted to power.
Addressing a public meeting at ‘Polo ground’, Bilawal said his relationship with the people of Gilgit-Baltistan is ages-old and hoped that the people of GB would support him as they supported his grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and mother Benazir Bhutto in the past.
The PPP chairman said that Asif Ali Zardari had fulfilled his promise and gave an identity to the people of GB through a presidential decree and for the first time local people elected their chief minister. He said that the constitutional rights were denied to the local people by the following governments.
Bilawal said that GB was neglected in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and added that PPP will compensate with the people when they will come into power.
He urged the masses to support PPP for their constitutional rights and added that his party will make their dream come true.
Referring to the 31st constitutional amendment, he had said the parliament just passed a amendment bill taking away powers of the president on tribal areas to empower its people. “Just the same time the federal government has ambushed the people of GB by taking away their powers and vesting it to the prime minister,” he said.
He warned Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan-led federal government that PPP would ‘halt’ the path of ‘annihilation’.
“The government which came to power through stealing votes is displaying sheer stubbornness. A dark era has been enforced on masses”, the Bhutto Jr was quoted as saying.
The chairman went on to say that federal govt had taken over 100 u-turns even before completion of first 100 days of their tenure. “Those who claimed to prefer suicide over taking loans are distributing sweets on same”, taunted Bilawal.
Bilawal added that he would not let Pakistan become a ‘laboratory’.
Commenting on anti-encroachment drive, the chairman of Sindh-based party demanded to first provide space to those who are being forced to vacate their residences.
Bilawal, on May 27, had said that giving powers of legislation to the bureaucracy in Islamabad and brazenly denying the people their rights was an affront to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan that will have far reaching consequences for political stability.
