Bilawal Calls for Political Reset to Face Crisis
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called on Tuesday for a “political reset” in which all political parties work together for the sake of the country, and urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to rebuild trust with allies and the opposition, Dawn reported. He was speaking at a ceremony in Sindh to mark the completion of one million houses for families affected by the 2022 floods.
Bilawal said Pakistan faced an economic catastrophe, driven in part by the oil and energy crisis caused by the US-Iran war, and that it could only be faced if parties stopped fighting and worked together.
Bilawal Political Reset: Parties Must Work Together
“Pakistan’s politics will definitely have to be reset,” Bilawal said, adding that through this reset, political parties would have to work together instead of fighting. “We need a political reset,” he repeated.
He invited the prime minister to first restore the trust of his allies, and then of opposition parties, “instead of picking new fights with them”. He said the support of all Pakistanis, including those in the opposition, was needed to face the crisis. “Unless we face this crisis together, we will not be able to save our people from this difficulty,” he said.
Bilawal’s call follows weeks of harsh exchanges between federal ministers and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has decided to strengthen his ties with the opposition alliance. The JUI-F chief joined the opposition in criticising the Centre’s imposition of governor’s rule and emergency in the PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the Centre has cited the KP government’s deliberate disengagement from the counterterrorism fight.
The oil crisis behind the call
Bilawal linked his call to the oil and energy crisis caused by the US-Iran war, saying Pakistan and the world were facing an economic catastrophe that has put fresh pressure on fuel supplies and prices.
Feature Pakistan has been tracking the conflict, including the movement of US tanker aircraft from Britain and the Group of Seven talks on Iran and Ukraine.
One million houses and the corruption question
The ceremony marked the completion of one million houses under the Sindh Peoples Housing for Flood Affectees project, part of the Sindh Flood Resilience Project. Bilawal called it the largest house-building programme in the world. “The Sindh government has built one million houses, and when this project is completed, we would have built two million houses,” he said.
He thanked the prime minister for the Centre’s support in flood rehabilitation, and said a predecessor of Shehbaz, without naming PTI founder Imran Khan, “did not give us a single penny” to help the flood-hit people of Sindh. “He even said ‘Sindh is not ours’, but Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has at least not made us feel this,” Bilawal said.
Bilawal also addressed claims of corruption in the housing scheme, suggesting the Sindh chief minister invite international corruption monitors to investigate. “There is no corruption in this scheme,” he said. Feature Pakistan reported earlier on Tuesday that he had rejected graft claims in the scheme and sought an international audit.
The project aims to rebuild around 2.1 million rural homes damaged by the 2022 floods, at a total cost of almost $2 billion. The European Investment Bank’s development arm, EIB Global, is providing a 100 million euro loan, and Sindh has sought $350 million from the World Bank for the project in fiscal year 2026-27.
A reset for the poor, not the rich
Bilawal said some politicians believed the country would make progress if it was reset and run according to the wishes of the rich. “I believe it should be run according to the will of the poor and homeless,” he said, adding that critics had claimed during the floods that the PPP was only making the effort to make money.
“As we are facing a financial crisis, the people of Sindh who are enduring historic poverty, inflation and unemployment are receiving financial security,” he said, adding that every project, from housing to free hospital care, aimed to lift the financial burden off people’s shoulders.
Bilawal had already rejected graft claims in the housing scheme and sought an international audit. US tanker aircraft left RAF Mildenhall as tensions with Iran rose. G7 foreign ministers met in Paris to discuss Iran and Ukraine. The federal cabinet has also discussed Middle East peace and fuel supplies.
Frequently asked questions
What is the “political reset” Bilawal called for?
All political parties working together instead of fighting, with the prime minister rebuilding trust with allies, then the opposition.
Why did he raise it now?
He pointed to the oil and energy crisis caused by the US-Iran war, which he called an economic catastrophe.
What event was he speaking at?
A ceremony marking one million houses completed for families affected by the 2022 floods in Sindh.
What did he say about corruption in the housing scheme?
He invited international corruption monitors to investigate and said there was no corruption in the scheme.
How is the housing project funded?
Almost $2 billion. EIB Global is providing a 100 million euro loan, and Sindh has sought $350 million from the World Bank for 2026-27.
