ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilalwal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday challenged ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to hold local government (LG) elections in Islamabad and Lahore within 90 days.
Speaking in the National Assembly on the final day of the budget session, the PPP chairman hit out at the PML-N over delay in holding LG polls in Punjab and Islamabad and accused it of attempting to create differences between the PPP and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on the issue.
Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the local governments were functioning in the provinces under the PPP rule whereas the PML-N was scared of having LGs in Punjab and Islamabad.
“They [PML-N] are not even ready to hold a single union council election. I say introduce the same kind of local government system in Lahore that we have in Karachi. Let’s contest the polls,” he said, adding: “I challenge you to hold local government elections in Islamabad within 90 days.”
He asked the PML-N to show it to the provinces as to what powers and financial resources it wanted to give to the LG representatives so that the provinces could follow them as a role model.
Stating that the PPP had the credit of giving the 1973 Constitution to the country, Mr Bhutto-Zardari announced that his party would hold local government polls in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) within 90 days.
It may be recalled that the PPP has formed its government in GB after the recent elections.
Stating that there was no issue between the PPP and the MQM-P, Mr Bhutto-Zardari even suggested the latter to quit the ruling coalition at the Centre as the PML-N was only giving them ‘lollypops’ over the local government issue and the proposed 28th constitution amendment.
The PPP chairman, who had actually taken the floor to respond to the controversial statements given by a couple of federal cabinet members regarding the volatile situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir due to the ongoing protest by the banned Joint Action Committee (JAC), talked about the LG elections when MQM-P’s Dr Farooq Sattar made a fiery speech, demanding 28th amendment for strong local government system in the country.
Dr Sattar in his speech had warned that if the local governments were not strengthened in the country, there could be a ‘Karachi Action Committee’ on the lines of Kashmir JAC.
Mr Bhutto-Zardari told the MQM-P lawmakers that “someone was feeding you the wrong information.”
“This is the lollypop for the members from Karachi. It is only an excuse to keep us engaged,” he alleged.
“You do not have even a minute issue with the PPP, but those trying to tell you about the local government system are not implementing it themselves”, he said while lashing out at the PML-N.
“He asked the MQM-P members to criticise the PML(N)-led federal government for failing to fulfill their demands, instead of targeting the PPP and the Sindh government, that.
“You should leave the government as they are not fulfilling the promises made with you,” he said.
“Is Karachi more important than the treasury benches?” he asked while facing the MQM-P lawmakers.
