Ahead of much-awaited Feb 8 vote, PPP chairman wants PTI supporters to cast ballot in favour of \u2018arrow\u2019
\nRawalpindi
\nPakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has urged the the supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to vote in the favour of his party while throwing shade at the Imran Khan-led party ahead of the general elections.
\n\u201cPTI founder is out of the race while all leaders [of the party] are planted,\u201d Bilawal said while addressing an election rally in Rawalpindi as the political campaigns for the February 8 elections go on in full swing.
\nA slew of new faces joined the PTI recently, most of them lawyers, as the party\u2019s main leaders are either jailed or parted ways post-May 9 \u2014 the day when military installations were ransacked, inviting the state\u2019s wrath on the PTI.
\nBilawal\u2019s remarks came as the young politician called on the masses to advise the PTI supporters that the PPP has been struggling for a democratic regime in the country for three generations.
\nHe said that now was the time to act seriously and wisely instead of emotionally, asking the masses not to \u201cwaste\u201d their vote by not casting the ballot in the favour of \u2018arrow\u2019, which is PPP\u2019s election symbol.
\nBilawal then slammed PTI for ending up without the \u2018bat\u2019 symbol, saying the party lost its iconic electoral symbol due to their own mistakes, as he referred to the party\u2019s internal elections which were declared illegal by the Supreme Court.
\nHe said that the PTI leaders hurl abuses against the judges and the next day they appear before the same courts \u201cwithout preparation and shed crocodile tears\u201d for being stripped of their \u2018bat\u2019 symbol.
\n\u201cUse the power of your vote instead of wasting it. You have to stamp on the arrow on February 8 and we will prey on the lion together,\u201d Bilawal said once again urging the people to vote for PPP.
\nHe then turned the guns towards its rival party, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), saying that the party\u2019s supremo Nawaz Sharif becoming the prime minister for a fourth time would prevent development and progress in the country.
\n\u201cMajority of the country doesn\u2019t want anyone becoming the prime minister for fourth time,\u201d Bilawal said while continuing his criticism of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif for eyeing premiership once again.
\nHe claimed that only the PPP could steer the country out of crises and bring stability to it.
\nMoreover, the former foreign minister spoke about fighting terrorism, which was once again on the rise in Pakistan.
\n\u201cThere would be no good or bad Taliban,\u201d he said, pledging to fight against terrorism in all its forms.<\/p>\n
Zardari\u2019s message for Baloch armed groups
\nMeanwhile, Bilawal\u2019s father and PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, while addressing a public rally in Hub, Balochistan, called on the people to advise the armed groups present in the province against violence.
\n\u201cGuide those friends who use the arms: why do you raise the arms, let\u2019s move towards democracy,\u201d Zardari said, adding that following democracy would solve all the problems.
\nHe said that the PPP never promoted aggression and fighting while calling on the masses to vote for \u2018arrow\u2019 on the day of polls.
\n\u201cBalochistan\u2019s survival is in democracy,\u201d he added, promising the people of Balochistan to give them their rights.
\nThe seasoned politician then called for improving the peace and security situation in Hub to attract Karachi-based investors to the city.
\nSeparately, Asifa Bhutto-Zardari addressed a public rally in Lyari and promised the people of the locality to provide them the facilities of free education and health if they vote PPP into power.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ahead of much-awaited Feb 8 vote, PPP chairman wants PTI supporters to cast ballot in favour of \u2018arrow\u2019 Rawalpindi Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has urged the the supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to vote in the favour of his party while throwing shade at the Imran Khan-led party ahead of the general […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":383694,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-383678","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n