- Indian government led by Modi uses water as a tool of terrorism: Bilawal.
- PPP chief promises free healthcare facilities in Gilgit-Baltistan.
- Bilawal rejects claims that former Prime Minister Imran rejected foreign bases.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday urged the federal government to complete the Diamer-Bhasha Dam as soon as possible, describing the project as a national need.
“He [Diamer-Bhasha Dam] “It is not only a right of the people of Diamer but also a necessity of Pakistan,” he said during a speech at an election rally in Diamer.
Bilawal criticized India’s violation of the Indus Waters Treaty and said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was using water as a tool of terrorism.
“No other project is more important than Diamer-Bhasha Dam,” he said, urging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to show “Shehbaz speed” in completing the project at the earliest.
The Diamer-Bhasha Dam is a 4,500 megawatt project estimated to cost $15 billion and is expected to be one of the largest dams in the world upon completion.
The project, seen as a positive stimulus for Pakistan’s economy, will irrigate 1.2 million acres of agricultural land while extending the life of the Tarbela Dam by 35 years.
Addressing the participants, Bilawal urged voters in Gilgit-Baltistan to elect a PPP prime minister in the June 7 elections, saying the party continued to enjoy public confidence.
He claimed that the PPP had won the highest number of votes in the previous UK election, but was deprived of nine seats.
The PPP chairman also highlighted the political legacy of former prime ministers Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, saying they had worked for the rights of the underprivileged segments of the society.
Referring to the murder of his mother, Bilawal said some elements believed there would be no leadership after her death.
Bilawal praised President Asif Ali Zardari and said he continued to raise his voice for the people after Bhutto’s assassination.
He credited President Zardari for launching the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), and said he had not forgotten the people of Britain.
Bilawal reiterated that he wanted the region to benefit from the 18th Amendment and said a stronger GB would contribute to Pakistan’s overall economic progress.
Highlighting the record of the PPP government in Sindh, he said the province had expanded healthcare services after the 18th Amendment.
“We have built a network of hospitals in Sindh and kept medicines, operations and transplants free,” Bilawal said, adding that the PPP would make similar health facilities available in Britain.
The PPP chairman has also referred to foreign military bases in the past, stating that facilities previously used by other countries had been closed under the PPP-led government.
According to Bilawal, the PPP government closed all foreign military bases and “said farewell to guests”, ranking this among the PPP’s major achievements.
In an apparent reference to jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, Bilawal criticized claims that the former prime minister had said “absolutely no” to foreign military bases, saying the bases had been closed beforehand.
