We won’t budge on our stands on key issues: PPP

Tariq Butt

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal says his party will not change its stance on the presidential system, 18th amendment, democracy, media censorship and military courts, come what may.

“We will not be afraid of going into jails [for our stands]. We will not be pressurised to change our stance. You can put all the PPP in jail but we will not change,” he said while addressing a press conference. Asked about the comments of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) chief Major-General Asif Ghafoor that a political party is supportive of the Pushtoon Tahafaz Movement (PTM), Bilawal said that he was the PPP chairman and supports only PPP but if another political party raises issue of democracy, human rights then he will also support those points.

“But the PPP is the only party which I support.”

He said that Pakistan’s narrative on foreign policy should come from the foreign minister and internal security policy from interior minister.

He said if the prime minister gets the policies announced by the ISPR, then institutions will be made controversial and the PPP does not want it.

Bilawal said that despite recession, the PPP government had fought with international institutions for the sake of people. He said he was ready to talk with the youth of Waziristan, who did not support terrorism as they want democracy and if they were not taken on board, then they will go towards chaos.

He said the PPP wanted that the assemblies to complete their tenure but will also give moral support to anti-government movement of Maulana Fazalur Rehman.