ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari blamed “powerful lobbies and bureaucracy” for the country’s long standing problems adding, “We would provide relief to the poor by eliminating all subsidies to the elite class of the society”.
While answering the various questions of the students of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST) Islamabad campus on Monday regarding his party’s manifesto “Chuno Nai Soch Ko”, Bilawal said, “PPP will take strict measures to end the control of elites and powerful lobbies and we will try our level best to provide relief to the underprivileged segments (poor people) after abolishing all subsidies to the “superior class” of society in the country.”
“Elites, power houses, and fertilizer industry get annual subsidies worth Rs 1,500 billion in our country. We will end all subsidies to the elites and spend the funds to provide relief to the underprivileged segments.” Blaming the bureaucrats for hindering the country’s progress, Bilawal said, “They don’t want to work nor do they want anyone else to do something.”
While explaining his experience as part of the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government as a foreign minister, he said, “I spent 18 months in the federal government and came to know about the mentality of Islamabad’s bureaucracy.”
He said that economic crisis inflation, poverty, unemployment, and climate change are key issues being faced by the country which need to be addressed on a priority basis. The economic crisis posed a serious risk to Pakistan, he said. “We will abolish as many as 17 ministries if voted to power.
The country will definitely see economic stability if we invest in agriculture, communication, and energy sectors.” Elaborating on expected difficulties in implementing his plan, Bilawal admitted that “powerful lobbies create problems and reaction will come from the powerful sector after the abolishment of ministries.”
Bilawal said that he and economic experts prepared the party’s manifesto, promising a pro-public economic plan to cope with all crises and immediate relief to the masses. He believed that the nation would definitely support those rulers and their policies that provided them with 300 free electricity units and other facilities.
Bilawal said that the country was facing the severe consequences of the politics of division and hate. Advocating his point of view, he said that no one could implement any manifesto without changing the mindset. He said that PPP could create green jobs for the nation and successfully addresses the longstanding national issues by providing relief to weak segments and flood affectees on top if elected to power.
After unveiling the manifesto, the Bilawal-led party will also launch the “Bhook Mitao Programme” which will ensure food security, by aiming to make nutritious food available at affordable prices, boost domestic production, subsidies local producers, and connect women with the market economy as active entrepreneurs.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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