MALAKAND : Terrorists want to spread fear and curb our freedom, said PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while speaking to the press on Sunday in Malakand.<\/p>\n
He said his party wants the elections to be held on time but there needs to be a level playing field for all political parties. \u201cTerrorists don\u2019t want us to have freedom and they want us to compromise on our freedoms,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Bilawal said he has received complaints from his party and other parties that they are being targeted and that they are not being given a level playing field. The interim government needs to take this issue seriously, he cautioned, adding that the PPP will be raising the issue in the Senate.<\/p>\n
He announced that he will be visiting Quetta soon before going on to Islamabad and Rawalpindi. He said he will discuss these concerns and other issues in the country, such as terrorism, with party workers and leaders there.<\/p>\n
\u201cFree and fair elections are our right,\u201d he stressed. He linked unfair elections to a weak parliament and said a weak parliament will make it difficult to help the people.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the 2013 elections we saw the damage that can be brought on our country and society [through unfair elections],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Reiterating his call for a level playing field, Bilawal said the PPP was stopped from holding events in Uch Sharif and Multan.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom 1988 till today the PPP has fought elections and had to face playing fields that were not level,\u201d he said. The PPP head recalled that his mother, Benazir Bhutto, had once said that \u201ceven the weakest democracy is better than a dictatorship\u201d.<\/p>\n
There are some freedoms, like freedom of the press and human rights, that are fundamental and should not be compromised on, he said.<\/p>\n
Speaking about former prime minister Nawaz Sharif\u2019s dramatic homecoming, he said, \u201cI understand the legal grounds on which Nawaz Sharif was arrested but arresting the [PML-N] workers was not right\u201d.<\/p>\n
He linked these arrests to the elections and reiterated his call for a level playing field. \u201cControversial elections will result in a controversial parliament, which is not good for the country,\u201d Bilawal explained.<\/p>\n
Answering a question, he said that there has been little implementation of the National Action Plan\u2019s 20 points. The FATA merger was passed but has not been implemented on the ground, he criticised, adding that work has not been done to curb hate speech and strengthen the civilian police.<\/p>\n
He said that in the past five years there are many important issues that have not been raised on a national level, such as those of the people of Malakand, Balochistan and Northern Areas.<\/p>\n
He said that he is going to raise the issue of lack of gas in Balochistan and Sindh, as well as the rest of Pakistan.<\/p>\n
When asked about the Supreme Court\u2019s orders regarding the Bhasha-Diamer and Mohmand damns, he said, \u201cI don\u2019t doubt the chief justice\u2019s intentions. Water is a huge issue and must be focused on but I believe in the fundamental principle, which is a worldwide reality, that making dams and raising money for dams is not the judiciary\u2019s job\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said that he is still waiting for justice in the cases of Benazir\u2019s death and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto\u2019s death, much like numerous other Pakistanis await justice for their cases. \u201cThe judiciary\u2019s priority should be providing justice,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
MALAKAND : Terrorists want to spread fear and curb our freedom, said PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while speaking to the press on Sunday in Malakand. He said his party wants the elections to be held on time but there needs to be a level playing field for all political parties. \u201cTerrorists don\u2019t want us […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":862,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-28378","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national","8":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n