PPP unveils manifesto urging voters to choose 'new thinking'

• Bilawal gears up to "combat poverty, unemployment and inflation".
• Party manifesto named "Chuno Nai Soch Ko (Choose New Thinking).
• PPP focuses on facilitating working and lower class in its manifesto.

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Saturday announced its detailed manifesto, presenting its plans for the people of Pakistan if it assumes power after a victory in the upcoming general elections on February 8.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari shared the PPP manifesto, named "Chuno Nai Soch Ko" (Choose new thinking), directing his followers to visit a website to access the document.

"The PPP is the only party with a plan to combat poverty, unemployment & inflation," he wrote in his post on X.

The manifesto mainly focuses on dealing with poverty and providing facilities to the working and lower class. It also outlines the healthcare facilities, education, food security and women's empowerment.

The PPP also promised to double the real incomes of wage earners by ensuring growth, investments and job creation as a real-time priority. It said that the minimum wage will be increased in real terms by 8% every year to take it to the living wage.

The manifesto said that the PPP has always seen housing as a right, hence, it will provide homeownership for the most vulnerable including the poor, landless, and working classes.

The Bilawal-led party will also launch the "Bhook Mitao Programme" which will ensure food security, by aiming to make nutritious food available at affordable prices, boost domestic production, subsidise local producers, and connect women with the market economy as active entrepreneurs.

According to the party’s manifesto, PPP will issue labour cards for the country’s labour class. Through this card, the working class can pay their children's school fees, avail health insurance and obtain old age benefits.

The PPP, as per the party’s manifesto, will provide a stipend for one year through the Youth Card to educated young men and women.

The party, once back in power, will also issue a Haari Kisan card ot provide subsidies on DAP and urea fertilizer, crop insurance will also be available through it.

Meanwhile, small loans will be given to poor women through the Waseela-e-Haq programme.

The party had earlier announced the following 10-point agenda for the manifesto:

• Double real income for wage earners — 8% increase every year
• Free solar energy of 300 units for the poor; every district to have green energy parks
• Education for all — rolling out projects for better education
• Free health for all across Pakistan
• Three million houses for flood affectees and the poor
• Ghurbat Mitao: Expand BISP’s scope; introduce more welfare schemes
• Khushhaal Kisaan: BISP-like programme for farmers and ‘Hari Card’
• Enhanced support for labourers through Benazir Mazdoor Card
• ‘Youth Card’ for unemployed youth and ‘Youth Markaz’
• ‘Bhook Mitao Programme’