Islamabad, June 29, 2022 (PPI-OT):Foreign Minister, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his address at the National Assembly today said that for the past four years, the opposition benches did not get the opportunity to speak and contribute in the Assembly. He said that everyone is witness to how the House was run. Today’s opposition, despite being a limited number is now getting the chance to talk and is not talking about the economic issues or the budget but about Sindh’s local body elections. He said that it would have been appropriate had this matter been raised in the Sindh assembly.
Regarding the local government elections in Sindh, Chairman Bilawal said that the Pakistan Peoples Party has been struggling for democracy, free and fair elections and the economic issues of the people for three generations and has been facing every tyrant. PPP’s Jiyalas stood bravely in the face of the dictatorship of Zia ul Haq, suffering hardships including violence, killings and the gallows. We have seen Zia ul Haq’s dictatorship and saved Pakistan from it, he said. The PPP has had the opportunity to govern despite rigging taking place. In this country, rigging has always taken place against the PPP and to stop the party of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. A systemic approach was taken to execute rigging in this country. The PPP has always led the struggle for free, fair and transparent elections, be it against Zia, Musharraf or the selected from any era.
The beneficiaries of rigging are complaining before you, Chairman Bilawal said to the Speaker. They cannot win. Imran Khan is complaining about our institutions being neutral since undemocratic parties like his cannot win otherwise. This is why today, they are running a movement for our institutions to play a controversial role instead of a neutral and constitutional one.
Like Imran Khan, there are a few parties, politicians and puppets in Sindh who are helped and made to come forward in a dictatorial rule. They were hoping, like Khan, for our institutions to not be neutral but controversial. When our institutions started becoming neutral, be it the Election Commission, the courts or other institutions who used to take interest in elections, these people started panicking. This is because they knew that their bails would be revoked if transparent elections are held and the institutions are neutral. They know that they are here today because the 2018 elections were rigged. Calling out a member of the opposition, Chairman Bilawal said that he could contest in the elections because Abid Bhayo’s brother was imprisoned in Shikarpur. When we too have a level playing field, they will not have a place to run to, he said.
A day before elections, everyone had gathered in the Sindh High Court to escape from the local body elections, Chairman Bilawal said. The whole province could see that only a single party was present for it while the rest were finding ways to escape. Would the people of Sindh vote for those who were trying to run? This is not possible. They will create more hue and cry since they know that the second phase of the elections is after a month. The bails of our opponents will be revoked then too. It is visible that free and fair elections will take place if the electoral reforms take place. There would be a level playing field. When there is a level playing field, PPP always performs well. Institutions remaining apolitical and not interfering is their fear. If there is no interference, the PPP will emerge victorious. What kind of a joke is it to complain of rigging if we win in Larkana?
If we want a level playing field, then when rigging actually takes place, we should all stand together and expose it. Chairman Bilawal concluded by saying that he would himself take action if a Jiyala is involved in rigging, as they cannot go against their leaders and manifesto. If false accusations of rigging are made, then no one would believe genuine concerns.
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