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regular-article-logo Friday, 06 December 2024

Bilawal Bhutto to be next foreign minister of Pakistan?

Welcome back to 'purana Pakistan', says 33-year-old Oxford-educated politician Bhutto after Imran Khan's ouster

Our Bureau, PTI Islamabad Published 10.04.22, 01:41 PM
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari Twitter/@NawabSadamBH

Bilawal Bhutto is likely to be appointed as the next foreign minister of Pakistan in the new government after Imran Khan's prime ministerial term came to an ignominious end following his ouster through a no-confidence motion, according to a media report.

While the positions of prime minister and president hold importance, the question of who will be the foreign minister under the new government is also important as the joint Opposition has been constantly targeting the government of Khan for their wrong foreign policies, Geo News reported.

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"According to rumours, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is likely to be appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, it said.

The 33-year-old Oxford-educated politician, however, said in an interview with The Independent Urdu that the party would decide on his appointment as the new foreign minister.

Bilawal Bhutto is the son of former premier Benazir Bhutto and ex-Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari. He is the maternal grandson of former President and Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Criticising Khan's leadership, Bhutto said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had made the foreign ministry and the National Security Committee (NSC) controversial.

During the debate in the National Assembly on Saturday, Bilawal had trained his guns on Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Khan's foreign minister, and questioned why he was not present for the National Security Committee meeting which discussed the so-called "foriegn conspiracy" to oust the PTI government.

Bilawal said that if there was a conspiracy against the government, Khan should have taken action immediately. He maintained that the current battle was not between the PTI, the PPP or the PDM, rather between those who upheld the Constitution and those who disregarded it.

The PPP chairman added that Khan was "scared of fair and free elections".

He said the Opposition wanted to oust the government in a "democratic way".

"This is the only legal and democratic means to dismiss the government," he said, adding that the National Assembly belonged to the people of Pakistan.

He added that Khan had divided the house, the judiciary, the establishment and the entire country.

Welcome back to 'purana Pakistan', says Bilawal Bhutto after Imran Khan's ouster

"We welcome (you) back to the purana Pakistan," top Opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Sunday, as he took a jibe at ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan following the adoption of a no-confidence vote against him.

Khan, who came to power in 2018 with promises to create a Naya Pakistan', was unceremoniously removed from the office, becoming the first premier in the country's history to be ousted through a no-trust motion.

Despite the government's hectic efforts to avoid voting on the no-confidence motion against Khan, the joint Opposition succeeded in its month-long efforts to oust Khan from the prime minister's office as 174 members of the 342-member National Assembly voted against him after a day of high drama.

"I would like to congratulate the whole nation and this House, as for the first time in the history of the country, a no-confidence motion has succeeded and we have made history," Bilawal said.

Speaking on the occasion, the PPP chairman recalled the significance of April 10, adding that on this day, the country approved the 1973 Constitution.

"On April 10, 1986, Benazir Bhutto ended her self-imposed exile and arrived in Lahore to launch her struggle against Ziaul haq," said Bilawal as he recalled his mother.

The Pakistan Peoples Party chairman said that on April 10, 2022, the person who was declared "selected by the Opposition and proved himself to be an undemocratic burden on the country saw the end of his rule.

Today, on April 10, 2022, we welcome [you] back to the purana (old) Pakistan, said Bilawal, who is likely to be appointed the next foreign minister.

Khan was dogged by claims of economic mismanagement as his government battled depleting foreign exchange reserves and double-digit inflation.

He apparently also lost the support of the powerful Army after he refused to endorse the appointment of the ISI spy agency chief last year. Finally, he agreed but it soured his ties with the powerful Army, which has ruled the coup-prone country for more than half of its 75 years of existence and has hitherto wielded considerable power in the matters of security and foreign policy.

Bilwal, the lawmaker from Larkana, said that he had joined the National Assembly only three to four years ago, adding that whatever he has learned during this time is probably more than he had learnt throughout his life.

I have a message for the Pakistani youth that they should never give up on their dreams as nothing is impossible. Democracy is the best revenge. Pakistan Zindabad, said Bilawal.

PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, who is expected to be chosen as the new prime minister, said that the joint Opposition once it forms a government in the Centre would not take revenge against their political opponents.

"...we thank everyone for their sacrifices, and now, once again, a Pakistan based on Constitution and law is about to come into existence," the PML-N president told the National Assembly after Imran Khan's ouster, hoping that the alliance moves the country towards progress.

Shahbaz said this might be the first time in Pakistan that the country's daughters and sisters were sent to prison, but maintained that he wanted to forget the past and move forward.

"When the time comes, we will speak in detail, but we want to heal the wounds of the nation; we will not send innocent people to jails, and we will not take revenge," Shabaz said, noting that the law will take its course without interference

"Neither I, nor Bilawal, and nor will Maulana Fazlur Rehman will interfere. Law will be upheld and we will respect the judiciary," Shahbaz said.

Maryam Sharif, the daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, also hailed the verdict and tweeted, "The nightmare for my beloved Pakistan is over. Time to heal and repair. Pakistan Zindabad Nawaz Sharif Zindabad."

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