–PPP chairman says ‘we do not want to see reputation of state institutions tarnished in any way’
–Urges govt to provide relief to the poor, go hard on rich people like Jahangir Khan Tareen
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday said Pakistani military spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor should not be giving political statements, hours after the latter accused the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) of anti-state activities allegedly funded by Indian and Afghan intelligence agencies.
“I think if the government has something to say then a respective minister should come out and say it… we respect our institutions and don’t want to see their reputation tarnished in any way,” Bilawal told a press conference at Zardari House in Islamabad.
The PPP chairman also urged the federal government to “provide relief to the poor” and instead go hard on the rich if it has to, in order to “create fiscal space”.
Bilawal criticised the government’s performance on the economic front, alleging that it is favouring the rich and burdening the poor.
“No one in the history of Pakistan took as much debt as they have taken in just several months of their government. They celebrate upon securing loans. What is there to celebrate when the poor and the common man will have to bear the burden of paying off these loans?
“The way they are running the economy, there will be a reaction from the poor spectrum of the society. If you want to create fiscal space and burden someone than burden the rich like Jahangir Tareen. For the rich you have an amnesty scheme but for the poor you have inflation.
“Ramzan is coming, where is your Ramzan package? I demand that the government review its economic policy, and provide relief to the poor wherever possible.”
Bilawal advised to government to take inspiration from the PPP’s management of the economy during turbulent times.
“Look at what the PPP did during its government,” he said. “Despite global recession, terrorism at its peak, two floods and an environment of war, the PPP fought and gave most jobs than anyone else (6.8m), increased salaries by 150 per cent … and did whatever was possible for the poor. You can do the same as per your promise.”
The PPP leader said that the impending bailout package of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) must be passed through the parliament.
“We don’t even know about the IMF programme,” he said. “The public will not agree if you go stealthily and sign the IMF deal. This would be illegal. You will have to bring the IMF deal to the parliament and get it passed from the National Assembly, otherwise we and the public won’t accept it.”
Bilawal criticised PM’s Adviser on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh for not addressing the parliament. “Forget that, he has not even faced the camera to shed light on the state of the economy and the stabilisation measures he has in store,” he said.
He branded the government’s accountability drive as “hypocritical”, saying that “NAB and democracy can’t go hand in hand”.
“There was a prime minister Junejo who said that martial law and democracy can’t go together. In the same way, NAB’s black law and our democracy can’t be run simultaneously.
“You cannot have a double policy for benami accounts. Jahangir Tareen’s benami accounts are clean but the [other] mill owners’ are thieves if they do the same. Those who use hawala to move their funds, by branding them thieves and thugs their businesses would cease functioning.
Bilawal said that “you can send my entire party to jail but we will not change our principled stance on the 18th Amendment, presidential form of government, military courts, freedom of the press and democracy.”
