ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communication Murad Saeed on Thursday said the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was "so scared" that he left after addressing the National Assembly without waiting for answers to the questions he raised.

The federal minister held a press conference and asked is this democracy where you present your viewpoint and leave. "The opposition does not have any reasoning and answer, and is capable of making claims only."

He said, "Those who were reluctant even in taking the name of Kulbhushan Jadhav during their tenure are now teaching us. Which politician's statement was used by Indian counsel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ)?"

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari whose entire family is facing cases of corruption and money laundering was accusing others of corruption. He said that in a JIT report on sugar recently made public, Zardari's name was mentioned as his mills were given subsidy by Sindh government.

He said it was an open secret that funds allocated for the welfare of the people of Sindh were transferred in the accounts of Asif Zardari and Faryal Talpur but now his son had made fun of his family by raising finger towards the incumbent regime.

He said that Bilawal had no courage to listen to the speech of a PTI worker in the National Assembly, and like the past, today left the house in a hurry after raising quorum.

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, he said, was "imposed" on the PPP as its chairman without any training in politics, and he did not know that political parties were answerable to the masses and media as this was the essence of the democratic process.

Murad Saeed said that after 50 years, during the past one year, Kashmir issue had been discussed in the UN Security Council twice, which was proof that the Kashmir case had been successfully advocated by Prime Minister Imran Khan at international forums. The minister said that if some legislation was being done in line with the ICJ rules, there was no need to make it controversial.

He reminded Bilawal it was the statement of Nawaz Sharif, which India used for its benefit at the ICJ. He said the people of Pakistan remembered the departure from Pakistan of Raymond Davis during the PPP rule that had killed Pakistani nationals in broad daylight.

He also reminded that Wikileaks had exposed the duplicity of the PPP leaders as it said that Asif Zardari had given go ahead to the US forces for drone attacks. He said that Pakistan today was known for tourism, not terrorism and its credit goes to the present government.

He said it was Imran Khan who contested the case of Islam, Pakistan and Kashmir at the international foray, whereas, in the past they surrendered before the demand of "do more".

Murad Saeed said Bilawal had challenged the PTI for debate and he had accepted the challenge, which was promptly accepted as the PTI was ready to be accountable for its seven-year rule in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, whereas the PPP would be answerable for its over three decade rule in Sindh.

He challenged Bilawal to decide whether he would hold a debate in the National Assembly, any public rally or at any news channel. He said that everyone knew that Karachi was being systematically destroyed by the PPP. He said that Karachi's contribution to Pakistan had been phenomenal but the PPP had devastated it.

Taking about the sugar scam, he said that for the first time such an inquiry was conducted and its findings were made public and its credit went to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He said that the policies of last governments of Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had ruined public-sector institutions including the PIA, and the Pakistan Steel Mills, during the era of Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif.

He said that Bilawal was demanding closure of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as they wanted license to commit corruption without any fear of accountability but the PTI would never allow their dream to become a reality.

He said that flour prices had increased in the country as a huge quantity of wheat was stolen from Sindh godowns, which created shortage of the commodity. To a question, he said that many road infrastructure projects were being built in Sindh and work on Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway would begin soon.

He said that Pakistan Post had shown a great turnaround during the PTI rule as its revenue had reached Rs19 billion from 10 billion in the PML-N era. He said that for the first time pensioners were delivered their pensions at their doorstep by the Pakistan Post.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020