'Provide relief to the poor or get ready for reaction,' Bilawal warns govt.

KARACHI -- PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday urged the federal government to "provide relief to the poor" and instead go hard on the rich if it has to, in order to "create fiscal space".

The PPP chairperson, who was holding a press conference at Zardari House in Islamabad, criticised the government's performance on the economic front, alleging that it is favouring the rich and burdening the poor.

"No one in the history of Pakistan took as much debt as they have taken in just several months of their government. They celebrate upon securing loans. What is there to celebrate when the poor and the common man will have to bear the burden of paying off these loans?" Bilawal asked.

"The way they are running the economy, there will be a reaction from the poor spectrum of the society. If you want to create fiscal space and burden someone then burden the rich like Jahangir Tareen. For the rich you have an amnesty scheme but for the poor you have inflation.

Ramazan is coming, where is your Ramazan package? I demand that the government review its economic policy, and provide relief to the poor wherever possible.

Bilawal advised to government to take inspiration from the PPP's management of the economy during turbulent times.

"Look at what the PPP did during its government," he said. "Despite global recession, terrorism at its peak, two floods and an environment of war, the PPP fought and gave more jobs than anyone else (6.8million), increased salaries by 150 per cent ... and did whatever was possible for the poor. You can do the same."

The PPP leader said that the impending bailout package of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) must be passed through the parliament. "We don't even know about the IMF programme," he said. "The public will not agree if you go stealthily and sign the IMF deal. This would be illegal. You will have to bring the IMF deal to the parliament and get it passed from the National Assembly, otherwise we and the public won't accept it."

Bilawal criticised PM's Adviser on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh for not addressing the parliament. "Forget that, he has not even faced the camera to shed light on the state of the economy and the stabilisation measures he has in store," he said.

He branded the government's accountability drive as "hypocritical", saying that "NAB and democracy can't go hand in hand".

"There was a...