Bilawal pledges to address Diamer-Bhasha Dam resettlement issues if PPP wins GB polls
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday vowed to address resettlement concerns of those affected by the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam on an โimmediate basisโ if his party emerges victorious in the June 7 polls. Bilawal made the declaration while addressing a rally in Diamer, as the PPP and other political parties have, over the past few days, ramped up efforts to garner support ahead of the polls. Addressing the rally, the Bhutto scion asserted that the project saw โgreat progressโ during the PPPโs tenure. He added that had President Asif Ali Zardariโs government not been removed in 2013, the Diamer-Bhasha Dam would have been built by now. The PPP chairman lamented that it was โunfortunateโ that affected citizens of the region had not had their resettlement issues addressed. โI would like to promise you that after June 7 โ when PPP forms government in GB โ we will ensure that the work is [completed] and as far as resettlement is concerned, we will address it on an immediate basis,โ Bilawal said. He urged the Centre to prioritise the construction of the dam. โThis is not only the right of the people of Diamer, but it is a necessity for Pakistan,โ the PPP chairman said. โNo project is more important for Pakistan at the moment than the Diamer-Bhasha Dam,โ Bilawal emphasised, calling on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to expedite work on the project. โWe have heard of your โShehbaz speedโ in Lahore [..] please show your โShehbaz speedโ to the people of Diamer as well and ensure that the project is completed,โ Bilawal quipped. In April, the Diamer-Bhasha Dam land-affected committee, under the โHuqooq Do, Dam Banaoโ (ensure rights, build the dam) movement, staged a sit-in in the Chilas and Thore areas of Diamer that lasted several days, over the non-implementation of a 2025 agreement on compensation for those affected by the construction of the dam, among other demands. Bilawal calls on GB to elect jiyala CM Bilawal claimed that PPP was the โsole political party which was looking out for the interest of the people of GB and had the peopleโs faithโ. โOn June 7, the people of GB will demonstrate their power and elect a jiyala chief minister,โ Bilawal said. Outlining PPPโs contributions towards the region, Bilawal recalled that it was his father, President Zardari, who โgave GB its current identity as the region was referred to as Northern Areas beforeโ. Taking note of the regional crisis, Bilawal stressed that Pakistan needed a government โlike PPP who can look the world in the eyeโ, adding that they were only able to do so as the party was the โtrue representative of the Pakistani peopleโ. He called on the people of GB to โstruggle against these difficult times and ensure the formation of a PPP government in the regionโ. At this, Bilawal also voiced optimism that the country will see similar results in the next general elections. The PPP chairman reiterated his support for โsecuring GBโs constitutional rights,โ stressing that Islamabad must understand that โPakistan can only prosper if the people of GB prosperโ. He vowed that with the partyโs public-private partnership initiatives, โnot only will you fulfil your own energy requirements but also sell it to the rest of the countryโ. โI am not here to air any grievances; it is not in our nature. Why was the Quaid-i-Awam (former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto) hanged or why my mother (former prime minister Benazir Bhutto) was martyred [..] have you ever heard me complain? or why was my father was imprisoned for 14 years [..] we are not the kind to complain; we only know how to take back our rights. So support me, and I will not disappoint you,โ Bilawal told the rally. The PPP chairman also took a jibe at the ruling ally PML-N, wondering why the โrest of the political parties campaigning in GB looked so worriedโ. โThrowing money at things might work in Lahore, but not in GB; the people here are honourable and cannot be bought,โ he quipped. โMany political parties make claims that they have carried out considerable development work in their provinces; I would like to tell you that whatever you have been able to do was because of President Zardariโ. He recalled that President Zardari was responsible for the 18th Amendment, which enabled greater provincial development. โIf they were able to build metros or run trains in any city, it was because of the 18th Amendment and the NFC Award, which enabled provinces to secure the resources needed for such development projects,โ Bilawal said. First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari also addressed an election rally in the region, calling on people to support the PPP and stressing that the partyโs electoral symbol, the arrow, was โa symbol of rights, betterment, power and hope for the poor, and the identity of democracyโ. Expressing support for her brotherโs vision, Aseefa said a PPP-led government would create opportunities for the youth, including quality educational institutions, IT parks, improved internet connectivity and employment. โWe want every youth of GB to see a bright future, for everyone to have access to healthcare, and for every child to be educated,โ she said.