I Am Not Focused on In-House Change; I Want Parliament to Play Its Role: Bilawal
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said he is not focused on an in-house change and wants Parliament to play its constitutional and democratic role.
Speaking to the media, Bilawal said Parliament could face several challenges, but his priority was to make the legislature functional and effective rather than pursue an in-house political change.
He welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the treatment of PTI founder Imran Khan, saying that government ministers and senior politicians had also welcomed the ruling. However, he said it would have been better if the government had taken action itself before the Supreme Court issued its decision.
Commenting on Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s remarks about the system, Bilawal said Naqvi did not have extensive political experience and had used “very strong words” regarding the system.
He said the Constitution was the backbone of the country but had been violated several times. Referring to Naqvi’s remarks about the system, Bilawal said that if the system in which Naqvi was working had been described as a failure, then talk of a “countdown” could also be considered valid.
“If he was referring to the 1973 system, that system was never allowed to function properly,” Bilawal said.
The PPP chairman said his party would stand with the people and support whatever decision was made according to the public will.
He said he had held meetings with opposition leaders Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, adding that consensus was gradually developing among the coalition partners.
Bilawal reiterated that the PPP had always respected Parliament and wanted it to remain active. He said some opposition parties had decided to boycott parliamentary proceedings, but activating standing committees was also essential for making Parliament effective.
He expressed the hope that opposition parties would return to the parliamentary committees and reconsider their decision to boycott them.
Bilawal also called for comprehensive electoral reforms, saying opposition parties, government ministers and coalition partners all recognized that the electoral process was not functioning properly.
