Bilawal announces farmers’ cards to get interest-free loans, subsidies

• PPP chairman calls poverty the biggest challenge for Pakistan

RAHIM YAR KHAN: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has said that he is endeavouring to fulfill promises of his mother Benazir Bhutto, the two-time prime minister, and save Pakistan.

Addressing a party rally here on Friday, he said that a vacuum was created after the death of his mother, which was filled by his father Asif Ali Zardari, a former president. Taking jibe at his political opponents, he said that PPP believes in serving the nation rather than constructing metro projects.

He questioned if the ‘throne of Raiwind’ (an indirect reference to the Sharif family) did anything to solve the problems of people in South Punjab. Moreover, he said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government failed to build a single hospital or a university for its people.

“Poverty is the biggest challenge facing Pakistan right now,” he said, adding that his party would work towards getting all the farmers registered. “We will issue Benazir Kisan cards to all the farmers, which will allow them to attain interest-free loans and subsidies.”

He said that PPP’s manifesto was people-friendly, sharing that he wants to come to power to eliminate the menace of terrorism. “I want to come to power for the people,” he said.

INTERFERENCE IN DEMOCRACY: Bilawal told journalists in Sukkur earlier that his party workers and candidates were being threatened during the election campaign. “We need free and fair elections. The powerful forces should not interfere in the affairs of democracy. They should trust the masses who are the ultimate decision-makers,” he said.

He said that the anti-PPP alliance in Sindh was against the interests of Pakistan. After stay in Rahim Yar Khan and Sadiqabad, the PPP chairman is scheduled to reach Muzaffargarh and then Multan where he will stay till July 10 and visit areas in southern Punjab before leading the election caravan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.