PDM in Malakand: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari says PM Imran Khan's team is 'incompetent' and 'corrupt'

MALAKAND: PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Monday that Prime Minister Imran Khan's team is "incompetent and corrupt".

He made the comments on Monday while addressing a Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) gathering in Malakand. The political gathering is also being attended by JUI-F and PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PML-N's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter chief Amir Muqam. 

Bilawal said the people of Malakand chased away terrorists from the country's soil. “We remember who stood by you and who sided with the terrorists. We are proud that you wave the Pakistan flag here. You stood with the Pakistan Army and defeated the terrorists.”

Bilawal also slammed the incumbent premier for calling the protesting families of the Machh massacre victims "blackmailers". 

"What kind of justice is this? Instead of going to the victims, the prime minister called them to him."

'Corruption everywhere'

Speaking of the problems the country's middle-class and poor segments were facing, the PPP chief said Pakistan's inflation was the highest in the entire region. "We're fighting historical poverty and inflation. This is the Naya Pakistan," he said.

Bilawal said PM Imran Khan's team consists of incompetent and corrupt individuals. 

"They snatched jobs and destroyed homes. There's corruption in the sewing machine of [PM Imran Khan's sister] Aleema Khan; there's corruption in the Billion Tree Tsunami project; there's corruption everywhere!"

'Tabdeeli peddlers are frauds'

"Each citizen of Malakand has only one demand and that is for the 'selected' to go. These 'tabdeeli' peddlers are frauds. People have been tolerating the 'illegal rulers' since 60 years."

All promises he and his party had made to the people were fulfilled, he said, adding that his grandfather, former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, had promised to abolish the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) system and made good on it.

The PPP boss vowed to collectively work to similarly end the regime of "selected puppet" premier — Imran Khan.

'Robbed the nation'

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the chief of the PDM and the JUI-F, in his address stressed that the flood of people would wash away the incompetent rulers from Pakistan.

"The nation will take back what it entrusted to them," Fazl said, referring to the PTI regime. "This government has unjustly robbed the nation... It has to do with an illegitimate ruler who has stolen votes."

In his address, Muqam, the PML-N's KP chief, said Pakistan's youth have pinned their hopes of a better future on PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal. 

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan is the "synonym of lies and hypocrisy" who shifts blame of his incompetence to Opposition leaders. "People are tired of Imran Khan," he said, adding that the incumbent premier had "destroyed Pakistan".

Pakistan 'extremely indebted'

Muqam underlined that the people of Malakand raised Pakistan's flag high after fighting terrorists, adding that it was unfortunate that the "tyrannical" PM Imran Khan did not visit the Machh massacre victims at the time he was supposed to.

"This incompetent [man] has made Pakistan extremely indebted to other countries and international organisations," he said. The PML-N leader added that the lives of the poor people were becoming challenging day by day due to the rising inflation.

Muqam said the "inflation" had plunged the country into "darkness" and criticised the premier for Saturday's power breakdown, saying that he could not generate electricity himself nor run the power system established by Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif.

"At least show the accountability of the foreign-funding case," Muqam demanded. "The one who lies the most in this government is promoted and rewarded."