PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday launched his party's election campaign in Shigar, pledging to secure constitutional, political and economic rights for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. He called for greater local control over the region's affairs and resources.
Bilawal Highlights Party Legacy
Addressing a public gathering, Bilawal said the people of Shigar had supported the PPP for three generations and had kept alive the slogan "Jeay Bhutto" despite attempts by political opponents to suppress it. Paying tribute to former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, he said the PPP founder had given Pakistan the 1973 Constitution and stood with the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Subsidies and Development
Bilawal said Bhutto's government introduced subsidies that continue to benefit the region, including subsidised wheat and petroleum products. He also praised his mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, for her decades-long struggle for democracy and public rights, saying she remained an internationally respected leader.
Call for Fair Elections
Seeking support for PPP candidate Imran Nadeem, Bilawal said he had returned to Shigar because its people had never disappointed the party. He alleged that Imran Nadeem had been deprived of victory in the previous election despite winning public support and claimed that nine PPP seats had been taken away in past elections. He urged supporters to safeguard Form-45 results, saying the PPP would ensure that no one could alter the public mandate.
Constitutional Rights for Gilgit-Baltistan
Bilawal reiterated that the PPP had always demanded free, fair and transparent elections. He said the PPP's manifesto was centered on securing the rights of the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. He maintained that the party had consistently played a leading role in advocating the region's rights to ownership and self-governance.
"Just as provinces secured their rights through the 18th Constitutional Amendment, Gilgit-Baltistan should also be granted similar rights," he said, adding that only the PPP could achieve that objective. He proposed that elections in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir be held simultaneously with Pakistan's general elections, arguing that such a move would make it easier to secure constitutional rights relating to ownership and governance.
Decentralization and Local Resources
Criticising what he described as excessive centralisation, Bilawal said decisions affecting Gilgit-Baltistan should be made by its own people rather than from Islamabad. "Whether it is Gwadar, Karachi or Gilgit-Baltistan, local people should make decisions about their own affairs," he said. "The mountains and natural resources here belong to its people. If the people of Shigar are allowed to make decisions regarding these resources, they can achieve economic self-reliance."
He cited the Thar coal project in Sindh as an example of how local resources could be used for economic development and employment generation. Bilawal said PPP governments had always focused on creating jobs, recalling that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto expanded overseas employment opportunities for Pakistanis and that Benazir Bhutto's return to Pakistan in 2007 was accompanied by public hopes for greater employment opportunities.
International Affairs and Social Programs
Turning to international affairs, Bilawal condemned attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel, saying the loss of civilian lives, including schoolchildren, was unacceptable. He expressed hope that ongoing efforts for peace would succeed and help ease inflationary pressures caused by rising fuel prices.
The PPP chairman also defended the Benazir Income Support Programme, describing it as one of Pakistan's most successful social protection initiatives. He alleged that political opponents wanted to weaken the programme and opposed proposals to transfer it to provincial governments, arguing that such welfare schemes were more effectively administered at the federal level.
Healthcare and Housing Initiatives
Bilawal highlighted PPP initiatives in Sindh, including free healthcare facilities and a large-scale housing programme under which two million homes were being built for low-income families, with ownership rights being granted to women. He said that if PPP's Imran Nadeem was elected, efforts would be made to establish a free, world-class healthcare facility in Shigar similar to those operating in Sindh.
Appeal to Voters
Concluding his address, Bilawal urged voters to stamp the arrow symbol in the June 7 election and elect Imran Nadeem, saying the vote would help rectify what he described as injustices committed in previous elections and strengthen the struggle for the constitutional rights of Gilgit-Baltistan.
