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Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on arrival at the residence of a senior party worker, Zubaida Shaheen to enquire about her health in Lahore spoke to the journalists. He said that he is delighted that he has come to Lahore as the PPP was founded in Lahore and we will work hard to bring the party at a stage where it was during the times of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. 

Chairman Bilawal said that the people of the country are in trouble because of high inflation. The government of the Party will be representative of the people and will resolve the issues faced by them. The PPP has always fought against poverty, inflation and unemployment. The PPP has always fought poverty and there is no opponent of the Party but poverty, unemployment and price hike. He said that the traditional parties are doing the politics of hatred and division whereas we are doing the politics to serve the people. He promised to solve the problems of the people with their support.

Responding to the questions by the journalists, he said that we have to implement the slogan of “Roti, Kapra Aur Makaan”. In the past we had introduced the revolutionary programme by the name of Benazir Income Support programme to provide financial relief to the poor women and to save them from acute poverty. On similar lines we will introduce the ‘Youth Card’. We want to help those who are in need. 

Responding to a question, Chairman Bilawal said that we will not only give a surprise in Balochistan but also in the entire country including Punjab if we get a level playing field. He said that the door of dialogue is always open in politics. We are facing a situation in which the politics of division is at its peak in Pakistan. We would like to take every party along with us when we come to power. We are all patriotic Pakistanis and we will work together. We are passing through a historic economic crisis and to emerge from it, will have to introduce a new kind of politics. The workers of the party in Lahore are courageous and steadfast and have stood with us during even the most barbaric dictatorships. We are proud of the PPP workers who offered great sacrifices. The PPP gave rights to the growers and laborers. The PPP is a party of the downtrodden masses, Chairman Bilawal said.

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President of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians and former President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari has said that the incoming PPP government after the upcoming general elections will start development projects in the fields of education, health and communication to speed up the development process in Balochistan, as well as will ensure supply of irrigation water to promote agriculture in the province. He said that in terms of development projects, “Balochistan will be the first” now, and “there is a lot of scope for Balochistan to move forward”.

According to the press release issued by media cell Bilawal House Karachi, the former president, while addressing the party workers’ convention here on Monday, said that Balochistan is the heart of Pakistan. He urged that conflict does not bring prosperity, and added: “We will beautify Balochistan, Balochistan has many resources. I will make Balochistan 10 times ahead.” He said that during the party’s previous government in the province, he provided funds but did not monitor the development projects. “Now I will supervise the development projects myself,” he vowed.

Former President pointed out that previous PPP governments in Sindh had build lining canals, as a result of which sugarcane is being cultivated in many uninhabited areas of the province. “Gold can also grow here in Balochistan,” he added.

President Asif Ali Zardari said that development in Balochistan will be done in cooperation with China, saying: “China will be our partner, we will work together with China.” He pointed out that Gwadar was already there, but no one except the PPP government paid attention to the expansion of that port. “We have to improve the economic conditions, we have to give employment to the youth of Balochistan,” he said, adding that Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) will be expanded and educated unemployed youth will be given stipend till they get employment. 

The former president said that individuals sitting in Islamabad do not understand Balochistan, they do not understand Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa either, adding that the PPP government formed after the upcoming general elections will build a university in every division of Balochistan, a college in every district and medical colleges and hospitals keeping in mind the population. 

The former president said that he had endured 14 years of imprisonment, during which he trained himself. Whenever PPP comes to power, it comes to serve the people, he said and added: “I gave identity to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province by giving its name. It’s not our fault, it’s our pride.” 

He said that no nation can bear the burden of another, and added: “We gave hospitality to Afghans for 40 years, but today they are reluctant to be our brothers.”

He urged that he want everyone to return to their homeland, stay in their own homes. No other country can take care of them. We will take care of our own,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, former Caretaker Federal Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti formally announced his joining PPP at the workers convention.

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Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has welcomed the decision taken by the Supreme Court yesterday to ensure the general elections in the country on February 8, and has announced that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will start his party’s election campaign on December 27 with a grand gathering on the eve of martyrdom anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

According to a press release issued by Media Cell Bilawal House, senior leaders of PPP, Senator Sherry Rehman, Shazia Atta Marri, Sharjeel Inam Memon, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Mukesh Kumar Chawla and Surender Valasai said in a press conference that an important hybrid meeting of the party leaders was held today (Saturday) at Bilawal House Karachi which was presided by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Sherry Rehman told the press conference that the current political situation of the country was discussed in the meeting, adding that the meeting eulogised Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for creating pressure through his recent successful public contact campaign to hold general elections in the country on time. “Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will visit all four provinces during his election campaign and mobilize the people,” she added.

Shazia Atta Marri, PPP-P Information Secretary, said that PPP is still the only party in the country which has held a high-level meeting of its organization to review the situation after the release of the election schedule and to formulate its future action plan, which is a manifestation of its seriousness regarding the election. “PPP is a democratic party, believes in elections and is the only party in the country which is in election mode,” she added.

Ms Marri said that this is a message from Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to the people pf the country that they should choose PPP in the elections to be held on February 8 to get the country out of crisis. “This is the opportunity to spread the developmental works that have been undertaken in Sindh, to the entire country. People should use their vote correctly,” she added.  

Sharjeel Inam Memon said that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was the only leader, who has been constantly raising his voice to hold elections on time in the country. “Some parties were approaching the courts to postpone the election, while the behavior of some parties was clear that they were running away from the election,” he said, adding that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is talking about uniting the whole country and every class instead of the politics of hatred and division.

Meanwhile, the hybrid meeting was attended by PPP Women Wing’s Central President Faryal Talpur, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Shazia Marri, Faisal Karim Kundi, Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, Murad Ali Shah, Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nawab Sanaullah Zehri, Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood, Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha, Manzoor Wasan, Hasan Murtaza, Rozi Khan Kakar, Nasir Shah, Saghir Qureshi, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Sharjeel Inam Memon and Mukesh Chawla.

In the meeting, the general election schedule and campaign strategy, election manifesto and public contact campaign were discussed.

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Former President of Pakistan and President Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Asif Ali Zardari has expressed his profound sorrow and grief over the demise of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. 

President Zardari said that Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah was a trusted friend to Pakistan. He extended condolences to the bereaved family and people of Kuwait.

Asif Ali Zardari prayed for the forgiveness and high status of Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

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An important lesson of the Dec 16, 2014 massacre of nearly 150 students and staff of Army Public School Peshawar on this day is to look inwardly and shed any doubt that the militants must be fought to the end and not appeased

This was stated by the Sentor Farhatullah Babar president of the human rights cell of the PPPP while addressing the civil society demonstration in Islamabad Saturday evening to commemorate the APS martyrs.

 “December 16 is a dark day in the history of the country on this day that innocent students were martyred in a school in highly secured zone of the city and earlier in 1971 Pakistan broke into two after humiliating surrender in Dacca.

 “Introspection and an admission of mistakes on such a day is no shame”. 

The APS tragedy and the recent resurgence of terror in the country is a reminder that state’s security and foreign policies have failed as the non state actors are active once again are on a rampage with impunity, he said.

Those who sought to placate the militants and negotiate peace with them last year have done incalculable damage to the nation and must be held accountable.

He said that soon after the APS tragedy all political parties and institutions devised a National Action Plan to fight the terrorists but it has not been implemented. The Commission set up to inquire into the massacre of scores of lawyers some time back in Quetta headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa stated it in no uncertain terms. There is need to implement the recommendations of that Commission, he said.

A closure of the tragedy will not be achieved without answering some fundamental questions about the APS attack repeatedly asked by the heirs of the victims, he said

On this day let us also reiterate that terrorists are terrorists without any distinction of good or bad and they must be dealt with an iron hand and not appeased.

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Former member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Fataullah Miankhel called on Former President of Pakistan and President Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Asif Ali Zardari today. 

Tehsil Nazim Dera Ismail Khan,  Makhdoom Altaf Shah, Fakhrullah Miankhel and Makhdoom Aftab Shah also met President Asif Ali Zardari.

PPP General Secretary Syed Nayyar Bokhari, Faisal Karim Kundi, Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha and Shazi Khan were present at the meeting of Dera Ismail Khan’s political leaders with President Asif Zardari. 

The political situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as the strategy regarding the upcoming general elections was discussed. President Asif Ali Zardari was also invited by political leaders to visit Dera Ismail Khan. 

After a meeting with President Zardari, a prominent political figure from Mansehra, Chaudhry Sardar Ghulam Mustafa along with his colleagues Zahid Swati, Muhammad Shiraz Khan, Rustam Khan, Hamza Khan, Siraj Khan, Muhammad Javed and Bilal Fareed joined PPP. Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, PPP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa General Secretary Shazi Khan, Peoples Lawyers Forum Sindh President Qazi Basheer and PPP General Secretary of the Ulema and Sheikh Wing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Syed Abbas Ali Raza were also present.

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Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressing a workers’ convention in Kohat said that he is grateful to the office bearers, organisations, candidates and Jiyalas of the PPP for making this series of the Party’s conventions a resounding success. The Jiyalas of PPP, the brothers of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and the soldiers of Quaid-e-Awami Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto have sent the message to the everyone that ‘philosophy of Bhutto’ is alive in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and will remain so. 

We were told not to hold conventions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa owing to security concerns, Chairman Bilawal said. We were also told that the situation is such that the decision for the CM of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has already been made elsewhere. Our response to this was, that the Jiyalas of the Party are not to be deterred by such threats as they exhibit sheer courage and determination, and we will go to them as they are still ready to fight the mission of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The Jiyalas of PPP have proved that they are always ready for elections, by choosing to come out at a time when the election campaign has not even begun properly and the election schedule is awaited.

The PPP has always represented the downtrodden masses and been their voice. The plethora of crises faced by the country today can all be resolved with the ideology of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in his manifesto. The PPP does not compete with its fellow politicians and parties, but poverty, unemployment and inflation. The Party has been fighting the war for ‘Roti, Kapra Aur Makaan’ for three generations. Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir would be recognised by the slogan of ‘Benazir Aaye Gi, Rozgaar Laye Gi’. This is because the PPP is the sole party that stands with farmers, labourers, students and the downtrodden instead of the elite class. 

The PPP aims to put an end to the traditional politics of hate and division when it is chosen by the people on February 8 and introduce a new form of politics that is based on service. The PPP’s only purpose to contest the elections is to serve the people, while its counterparts are doing so to either get out of prison or to avoid it. We wish to come to power so that we can expand the internationally-acclaimed Benazir Income Support Programme so that the poorest of women in the country can be provided with relief. We are contesting the elections to ensure that benefits are reaped by the farmers and labourers through the Benazir Kissan and Mazdoor cards, as well as the Youth Card for our youngsters, following in the footsteps of our elders who served these families. We wish for every district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to have free-of-cost healthcare institutions such as the NICVD, Gambat Institute and the SIUT. Being able to afford healthcare facilities or not should not determine whether one gets to live, Chairman Bilawal said. 

We are contesting the elections to continue the accomplishments achieved by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and President Zardari. The 1973 Constitution,18th Amendment and NFC Award are all gifts given to the people by the PPP and those wishing to repeal them would have to face us. We will establish an actual ‘rule of the people’ and see to it that the people get their rights and fair share. Twelve years ago, President Zardari had sent a reference to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to review the case of the judicial murder of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. We hope that Justice Qazi Faez Isa would use this opportunity to rectify the mistake of its own institution, which was the very crime scene in this case. The constitutional and legal mistakes should be corrected. A decision alone would not be enough as we would need to tell the nation who the facilitators were in this murder, from General Zia to the judges, lawyers and politicians. They are the criminals. We hope that justice would be provided not only legally but keeping in mind the historical context, and that the entire world would get to know why a leader of the Muslim Ummah was sent to the gallows. If the court addresses this issue itself, it would be a source of renewed hope for the people of Pakistan, as they too can hope to get justice for themselves. 

Chairman Bilawal expressed his gratitude towards the people along with his resolve to serve the people. “We continue to keep trusting the people and leaving the Party’s fate in their hands alone, as we were taught by our leader that ‘people are the source of power’, Chairman Bilawal said.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari chaired the meeting of central and provincial officials and legal experts of the Peoples Lawyers Forum at Zardari House, Islamabad. In the meeting, the officials of Peoples Lawyer Forum briefed Chairman Bilawal on the presidential reference of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto case. In the meeting, the legal aspects of the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Presidential Reference Case were discussed. Farooq H. Naik and Shahadat Awan participated in the meeting through video link while Qazi Bashir, Bahram Khan Tareen, Raheel Kamran Cheema, Sajid Tanoli, Gohar Rehman Khattak, Ghiyasul Haque and Asrar Abbasi  were present. Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Faisal Karim Kundi, Raza Rabbani and Amna Paracha were present in the meeting.

Meanwhile, a civil society delegation met Chairman PPP at Zardari House Islamabad and discussed important domestic and foreign affairs. During the meeting, the challenges faced by the Pakistani people and their solutions were discussed. On this occasion, the civil society delegation gave their suggestions and opinions regarding the problems faced by the country. Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari appreciated the delegation for their services and performance in their respective fields.

Ahmed Faraz Khan Advocate, Barrister Saifullah Ghori, Bilal Tariq Khan, Dr. Abdul Mohiman, Dr. Maria Hamid, Dr. Salma Malik, Faheem Sardar, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir, Huma Fawad, Jahanzeb Durrani, Kanwal Malik were among those who met Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. Lubna Bhayat, SM Tariq, Javed Akhtar, Pir Mohammad Anwar, Junaid, Raja Mohammad Khan, Sania Kamran, Shehbaz Zaheer, Shamamata Al Ambararbab, Buland Sohail, Kashaf Ahmed, Talha Rahmani, Osama Malik, Usman Iqbal Bandal and Yusuf Masih were part of the delegation. Information Secretary PPP, Faisal Karim Kundi was also present on this occasion.

Former President of Pakistan and Co-Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party, Asif Ali Zardari has said that the Party has always made efforts to solve the problems of the common man in the past years. Since its inception, the motto of its founding revolutionary leader Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, “Roti, Kapra Aur Makaan” has been integral to the core values and ethics of the PPP, for the fulfilment of which the party has made countless sacrifices. The blood of the martyrs is also included in the Party’s foundation.

Former President Asif Ali Zardari said that in the history of the modern world, no party has made more sacrifices than the Pakistan Peoples Party for the implementation of its manifesto. He said that the PPP has continuously moved forward and learned from its experiences, thus we are ready to serve the people of Pakistan with a renewed zeal and sense of duty.

Co-Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party further said that the following are the important areas we have highlighted for recovery in the coming years.

He said that complete digitization of important departments such as Food, Education and Health is essential to ensure transparency and effective governance. This is because these departments provide essential services for the welfare of the common man.

Former President and Co-Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party, Asif Ali Zardari further said that anti-harassment laws should be strengthened and their implementation should be ensured so that the women in our society are given the opportunity to work without any fear or prejudice. PPP has always been the flag bearer of women’s rights and the PPP gave the Islamic world its first woman Prime Minister, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.

Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressing a workers’ convention in Shangla said that he is grateful to the Jiyalas for conveying to the world that the valley of Shangla is alive with the slogan of ‘Jiye Bhutto’. Today too, the Jiyalas and brothers of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto are steadfast on her ideology to complete her incomplete mission. 

The country is riddled with woes, be it the heightened polarisation in politics or the economic crisis which keeps on worsening. In this situation, the traditional politicians of the country are adamant on continuing the politics of hate, ego and division. They have made politics a means of carrying out personal vendetta instead of letting it be a platform for difference of opinion. They have no interest in solving the problems of the people. The ever-increasing inflation, poverty and unemployment is the most important issue for my brothers and sisters, but the least for our fellow politicians. The political parties of the country are not thinking of the people or the future of the country. “I would like to convey to the youngsters and students of the country that it is the PPP that has helped the country emerge from deep turmoil in the past, and today too is the sole party that can provide ‘Roti, Kapra Aur Makaan’, all while considering poverty and price-hike its opponents, not other political parties”, Chairman Bilawal said. 

We have been fighting this war since three generations. We have learned how to be of service to the downtrodden masses through our elders, and this is our political training. We do not know the politics of name calling, TikTok or Gate no. 4. Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had said that political heaven is under the feet of the people. We do not wish to look towards anyone else, we trust the people of Pakistan. “I am the grandson of the person who gave us the slogan of “People are the source of all power’”, Chairman Bilawal said. He said that he does not ask anyone for help but the youngsters, elders, students, farmers and labourers of the country to support the PPP and change the fate of the country. 

Addressing the youngsters, Chairman Bilawal asked them to learn about the difference in Shangla before and after Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. “Just as the people have now witnessed all the politicians of the country, I too have seen them closely”, Chairman Bilawal said. Their politics is deeply entrenched in hate and division. We have to introduce a new form of politics, with the people being the sole priority. We need to think about the progress of the labourers and farmers, not the elite class. The economy can no longer run just to benefit the elite, it has to benefit the poor. Chairman Bilawal said that he is the sole politician who has been doing politics since the age of 19. He has served as the youngest Foreign Minister of the country for 18 months, and his hands are clean of any wrongdoing. “It is extremely difficult to keep one’s hands clean in politics, and mine are devoid of the stains of corruption or the blood of the people”, Chairman Bilawal said. We have an entire plan to double the wages within 5 years. We proved in the past too that the PPP made the most increase in the wages of the people. Now too, we plan on reaching our target of doubling wages within 5 years, as this is the only way to combat poverty. This is not an unattainable feat, as we only need to provide the labourers and farmers with their rightfully earned income that they deserve. We should give them the same rates that we give international farmers. 

Addressing the young population, Chairman Bilawal said that every politician promises employment, but the PPP’s record is testament of the fact that for us, it is not just a slogan but a fact. Cases were made against Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto by Nawaz Sharif’s Accountability Bureau and Saif ur Rehman for giving employment to the people. During a hearing, she was accused of providing employment to the people, to which she responded by saying that “If providing employment to the people is crime, I am willing to commit it again and again”. 

Chairman Bilawal said that the PPP will initiate projects based on public-private partnership as it has done successfully in Sindh so that the people can progress. We will hold the investors accountable for the happiness and wellbeing of the labourers. Youngsters who were told that they would attain jobs and be able to support their families after acquiring education, are now being pushed from pillar to post for employment. Providing employment to the youngsters in the country or abroad is the responsibility of the state. The PPP is going to come to power, and we introduced the BISP in the past to support the poorest of women in the country financially. This time, we are working on providing a ‘Youth Card’ to the youngsters, so that the process of getting employment is made easier. Chairman Bilawal said that the most difficult time for the youngsters is when they have attained degrees but do not have the experience to bag jobs. This is why, through the ‘Youth Card’ we are going to provide them with paid internships, as well as a stipend along with a one-year experience, Chairman Bilawal expressed his resolve. Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had provided a plethora of opportunities for the youth, and we are going to follow his footsteps by providing vocational and language training so that our youngsters can work all over the globe if they wish to do so. 

Addressing the women of the country, Chairman Bilawal said that his mother is no longer alive but he wishes to serve the women of the country just as a son would. He said that the women of the country supported Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and created history by making her the first woman prime minister in the Islamic world. They know how difficult it is to run the household and the kitchen during this time. Chairman Bilawal said that he is aware of the difficulties and will solve the issues of the women by not only expanding the BISP but also providing employment to his sisters. We have always believed in women’s empowerment, Chairman Bilawal said. Two-thirds of the country was submerged in water after catastrophic floods, and we promised the flood victims that we would provide them with homes. Now, two million houses are being made for them and the ownership of the land is being given to the women to provide them with an asset that is of use to them. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa too faces floods every now and then, but the flood victims are paid no heed. We will bring our ‘Apna Zameen, Apna Ghar’ project to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and compensate for the suffering of the flood victims of the past too, Chairman Bilawal stated. 

Chairman Bilawal said that the onus of putting an end to the traditional politics of hate and division, while establishing a ‘rule of the people’, is on the people themselves. They should support the party of the martyrs and the symbol of the arrow to complete the incomplete mission of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The series of the PPP’s conventions will continue and the PPP will triumph. The rest can continue with their politics of hate, but the Jiyalas, workers and office bearers of PPP should take our message and manifesto to every doorstep.