\u201cIt cannot be the case that the fate of the country is decided by a handful of businessmen,\u201d says PPP chief
\n LONDON
\nPakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has challenged Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to take his criticism of Pakistan\u2019s political and governance \u201ccollapsed\u201d system to parliament, saying the country\u2019s fate cannot be decided by \u201ca handful of businessmen\u201d at business forums.
\nSpeaking to the media in London, Bilawal said Naqvi had every right to express his views, but if he believed that the system had failed, then the issue must be debated in the National Assembly to establish why it had failed and what could be done to fix it. \u201cIt cannot be the case that the fate of the country is decided by a handful of businessmen,\u201d the PPP chairman said, insisting that questions about the weaknesses and failures of Pakistan\u2019s system belonged to elected representatives.
\nBilawal also took a pointed swipe at Naqvi over his absence from the lower house, saying: \u201cMr Mohsin Naqvi does not come to the National Assembly very often, so instead of business forums, he should come to parliament.\u201d The PPP chairman said he was personally prepared to debate the issue with any federal minister or government representative on the floor of parliament.
\nBilawal said problems, faults and weaknesses within Pakistan\u2019s political system were neither new nor something that could be addressed through slogans. There should be an open debate on the causes behind the system\u2019s failures and the solutions required to address them, he added. Responding to a question whether Naqvi was speaking for someone else through his recent statements, Bilawal said: \u201cMr Mohsin Naqvi is speaking for himself, and I speak for myself.\u201d
\nOn the intensifying debate over the creation of new provinces, Bilawal said the PPP\u2019s position had not emerged overnight and had remained consistent for a considerable period. He cited Gilgit-Baltistan, Punjab and Sindh to argue that the views of the people should be reflected through their elected representatives and provincial assemblies.
\nBilawal warned against presenting the creation of new provinces as a cure-all for Pakistan\u2019s deep-rooted economic and political crises. \u201cYou cannot simply say that by creating new provinces, you will solve the problems of political instability, poverty, unemployment, and the tsunami of inflation,\u201d he said.
\nBilawal rejected suggestions that the PPP was preparing to walk away from cooperation with the federal government, saying talks between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-) representatives were continuing. \u201cAt present, we are fully engaged with the federal government,\u201d he said.
\nHe sharply criticised PTI\u2019s strategy of boycotting parliamentary bodies, committees and elections, arguing that such a course was damaging not only to PTI and the opposition but also to parliament itself. \u201cI believe PTI\u2019s decision to boycott all bodies, all committees, and elections is not only wrong for PTI and wrong for the opposition, but it is also not good for parliament as an institution,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cIt cannot be the case that the fate of the country is decided by a handful of businessmen,\u201d says PPP chief LONDON Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has challenged Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to take his criticism of Pakistan\u2019s political and governance \u201ccollapsed\u201d system to parliament, saying the country\u2019s fate cannot be decided […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":560049,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-566377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n