Bilawal unveils PPP manifesto for General Election 2018

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Thursday that if given power the party would start poverty eradication programme, while speaking in an event to announce party’s manifesto for the forthcoming election. 

This is the 10th manifesto by the PPP during the last five decades. PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had unveiled the party's first manifesto for General Election 1970.

Former prime minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto had given six-party manifestos in her lifetime.

Addressing the event, Bilawal said that the manifesto includes strengthning the basis of democracy in the country.

"We will ensure harmony in the relationship between masses and state," Bilawal added.

The party chief said that his party would withdraw all the actions taken by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government in Gilgit Baltistan, adding that the previous government weakened the accountability institutions of the state.

"The parliament remained a silent spectator in the time of crisis. The state institutions appear to be at loggerhead," he said. 

The PPP has named its manifesto, 'BB ka Waada Nibhaana Hai Pakistan Bachana Hai' (We have to fulfill Benazir's promise by saving Pakistan).

Bilawal said that Pakistan is facing isolation despite rendering sacrifices of thousands of soldiers in the war against terror, adding that the country has become paralyzed. 

"The process of reforms in democracy never stops. It's a continuous process," he said. "We have to free Pakistan from the fear of poverty."

The PPP chairman said that under a pro-active foreign policy, his party would highlight the human rights abuse being committed by the Indian forces in the occupied-Kashmir. 

“Foreign policy should be rooted in economic diplomacy,” the PPP Co-Chairman said. "Unfortunately the country had no foreign minister for as many as four years."

Earlier, speaking in the event former president Asif Ali Zardari said that his party's government did developmental work in their tenure.

"We gave Gwadar port to China from Singapore. Our manifesto primarily deals with saving Pakistan," Zardari said.

The PPP leader announced to end the ban on student and trade unions in the country. 

Bilawal said that if the water issue is not timely addressed it will turn into a very acute problem for the country. "We built small dams in Jamshoro to address the water issue in the district."

The party leader said that if given power the PPP would expand health facilities in every corner of the country, we will introduce family health programme. 

"PPP won't accept censored and contaminated democracy. Anti-democratic forces are engaged in conspiracies. One can't give respect to parliament by remaining absent from it for years neither by cursing it."

Bilawal lamented that the basic human rights are being compromised in the country.