Lahore: Pakistan Peoples Party chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari took a dig at the leaders of the Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N party for not making any efforts to win the February 8 polls thinking the match is "fixed" in their favour, as he vowed to hunt the ‘Lion' with ‘Arrow'.
Addressing a rally in Multan, the 35-year-old former foreign minister and scion of a family that gave the nation two prime ministers, said the only way to stop Sharif and his cronies from looting the country was to vote for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
The blame game and trade of rhetoric between leaderships of the PPP and the PML-N — two key allies in the former Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government — have intensified as the country moves closer to polls.
Bhutto-Zardari said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders did not leave their houses and expected to win the elections without any effort to reach out to the voters thinking they had “fixed the match, but that is not true”, adding the PPP and its allies would jointly hunt the ‘Lion' with ‘Arrow'.
Arrow is PPP's election symbol while Lion is the polls symbol of the PML-N.
Separately through a post on X, Bilawal challenged Sharif to an open debate on the problems facing the country.
“As I am a PPP candidate vying for the PM post [in the upcoming general elections], [international norms dictate that] the PML-N candidate (Nawaz Sharif) should come forward and engage in a debate with me,” he said on official X account.
Earlier this month, Bilawal had been nominated as the party's candidate for the slot of prime minister in the upcoming general elections.
“I invite the PM candidate of PML-N, Nawaz Sharif, to engage in a debate with me anytime, anywhere before Feb 8," Bilawal said.
He said globally, presidential and prime ministerial candidates participate in televised debates, providing voters with crucial insights into their plans.
“This transparency is vital for an informed electorate ahead of the voting process," he added.
At the rally in Multan, Bilawal criticised traditional political leaders for promoting division and hatred for personal gains and pledged to unify the country and address public issues, including the economic and security situation.
He lashed out at other political parties for their indifference to the country's problems and their focus on just gaining power.
"Politicians who have held the Prime Minister's Office thrice are angling for the chair for the fourth time," Bilawal said, in an apparent dig at Sharif.
Bilawal claimed that the former three-time prime minister had no inclination to address the pressing issues faced by the people.
He criticised the PML-N for not even announcing its manifesto. He also accused the PML-N leaders of trying to copy the PPP's manifesto.
Outlining his election strategy, he said it was based on a 10-point economic charter rather than resorting to ‘revenge, violence or hate'. Highlighting the unprecedented levels of inflation and unemployment in the country, Bilawal said: "At present, no party, except the PPP, has a comprehensive plan to tackle these issues. Other political entities are solely focused on elections for their own gains, neglecting the well-being of the people."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)