PPP promises better healthcare, education in poll manifesto

• Bilawal says party will fulfill Benazir Bhutto’s promise to ‘save Pakistan’ if voted into power

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday presented party’s 10th manifesto titled ‘BB ka waada nibhaana hai, Pakistan bachana hai’ (We have to fulfil Benazir’s promise of saving Pakistan).

Speaking on the occasion, Bilawal said that the current economic situation in the country is unstable, adding that the state institutions appear to be at loggerheads with each other.

The PPP chairman also said that the former government weakened the accountability institutions of the state, adding that the previous parliament remained a silent spectator in the time of crisis.

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 Elections 1970. Former prime minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto had given six-party manifestos in her lifetime.

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.”

Bilawal 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.

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 and “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.”

“The PPP has focused on resolving issues relating to education and health and other basic necessities. We will also focus on resolving two major issues perturbing the youth: unemployment and opportunities,” Bilawal maintained.

Measures will have to be taken to give a boost to industrial progress and development, he said and stressed that his party will evolve a zero tax policy for the textile sector.

“We will introduce measures to increase synergy between national institutions.” the PPP chief said the rulers need to ensure that there’s no exploitation of the weak and the marginalised. According to him, ineffectiveness to resolve the water scarcity issue is an injustice with the future generation.

“We will not compromise on national integrity,” Bilawal said and added that “our manifesto will make the rulers answerable to the masses.”

Bilawal lamented that the basic human rights are being compromised in the country. He said his party will continue the struggle to establish the South Punjab province.

Earlier, speaking at 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 ban on student and trade unions in the country.