Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday urged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to abandon what he described as the politics of extremism, saying it would be in the party’s own interest as well as that of its workers.
Speaking to the media in Larkana, Bilawal said the PTI should move away from confrontational politics, which would have a positive impact on the country’s political environment.
He added that those who resort to extremist politics should not complain if the response is equally harsh.
He said that attacking national institutions over the arrest of a leader or court cases inevitably invites action, and argued that if the PPP had taken similar steps, the consequences for his party would have been far more severe.
“In their case, nothing of that sort is happening,” he added.
Bilawal stressed that political parties must find political solutions to political problems, saying that creating more space for dialogue and politics was in the national interest.
He also thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for sending a delegation to attend the death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, adding that political parties must work together to safeguard democracy through political means.
Commenting on privatisation, the PPP chairman said his party had a clear stance on the issue, emphasising public-private partnerships as a preferred model to improve public services.
He said such partnerships could play a key role in addressing the country’s economic crisis, and suggested that the federal government should learn from Sindh’s experience in this area.
Bilawal said that the Sindh government was undertaking initiatives not seen in other provinces, including providing patients with 100% free medical facilities and working to offer children free healthcare in line with international standards.
He added that following these initiatives, Sindh now has the lowest child mortality rate in the country, stressing that saving children’s lives remains the provincial government’s top priority.
Bilawal further said that Sindh’s healthcare facilities were unmatched, and that the province was establishing world-class health centres to improve medical services for its people.
