Bilawal warns of pre-election rigging

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday cancelled his scheduled rally in Malakand constituency expressing solidarity with the families of martyred and injured persons of the Mastung tragedy in Balochistan. Addressing a press conference here at the residence of PPP's former provincial president Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and candidate from the provincial assembly constituency PK-77, Syed Zahir Ali Shah, he however announced to visit the district to meet his political workers.
Besides NA-200 Larkana and NA-246 Karachi, the PPP young chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is also launching parliamentary debut from NA-8 Malakand. He is facing former PTI legislator Junaid Akbar and other candidates from MMA, ANP, PML-N and some independents.
He expressed sorrow that solution to extremism and terrorism had not been found so far adding that the menace was resurfacing in the country. He attributed the occurrence of terror incidents during election campaign to failure in the implementation of National Action Plan (NAP). "If the NAP was implemented in letter and spirit, then the present situation would not have arisen.
The PPP chairman stressed need for the formulation of a new National Action Plan, followed by its strict implementation. He said the strengthening of institutions will help resolving problems. He said after coming into power they will bring all political forces on single page.
Bilawal said election campaign was scheduled in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but due to suicide attack on ANP candidate, Haroon Bilour, they observed three-day mourning and now 129 persons have been lost in Balochistan.
He alleged pre-poll rigging is being continued in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but still PPP will not boycott the polls. Their candidates are being forced to change political loyalties and attempts are continue to form Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IGI) like alliance, which had badly impacted the youth, economy and politics of the country, he said.
Bilawal said bureaucracy in other provinces has been shuffled, but in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa no such postings and transfers were occurred and demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to beside shaking bureaucracy should also take notice of the pre-poll rigging of the caretaker government in the province.
He said political parties are under attack from terrorists, saying PPP has always battled difficult situations and continue it in future too, but despite these situations it will fully participate in polls.
He said he is fully aware of the heirs' feelings of victims of Mastung tragedy and will not chant slogans to get political benefits. He announced sooner visit of Mastung to express solidarity with the families of the victims by himself.