LAHORE: On Sunday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari urged supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to vote for his party in the upcoming February 8 elections.
Bilawal framed the electoral contest as a battle between “the lion and the arrow,” with the PTI losing its ‘bat’ symbol while the PPP retained its ‘arrow’ and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) held onto its decades-old ‘lion’ symbol.
Addressing a party power show in Lahore, Bilawal appealed to PTI supporters, expressing empathy for their perceived grievances and criticizing PTI leader Imran Khan’s approach to politics. He called for an end to revenge politics, citing the arrest of PTI workers allegedly involved in attacks on military installations since the arrest of Imran Khan on May 9, 2023.
Bilawal pledged to bury revenge politics and emphasized the need to unite political forces to steer the country away from turmoil. He promised to outperform key PTI figures, referring to Shehbaz Sharif as “Showbaz” and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar as “Wasim Akram plus.”
Questioning the continued election of familiar faces in Lahore, Bilawal vowed to win hearts, fight for the people, and break away from old political practices. He highlighted the historical significance of Lahore in electing the late Benazir Bhutto as prime minister and expressed determination to continue the struggle for the people.
Bilawal outlined the PPP’s 10-point economic plan, including the construction of 3 million low-cost houses, providing 300 units of free electricity to families through solar energy projects, introducing kisan cards, Benazir Mazdoor Card for laborers’ social security, youth cards for financial assistance, and expanding the Benazir Income Support Programme.
He emphasized cutting expenditures by abolishing 17 ministries and redirecting funds to benefit the nation. Bilawal urged PPP workers to promote the party’s manifesto and announced a schedule for 30 election rallies in various cities across the country.
