CHARSADDA: PPP chairperson Bilawal Zardari said it would have been better if the PDM's action plan, which had been signed by its 10 member parties, had been followed which had called to use democratic, political and parliamentary options to confront the PTI-led government inside and outside the parliament, he said while speaking to reporters in Charsadda with ANP leaders.

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Sunday that there was no benefit to the PPP and Awami National Party (ANP) becoming part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) if the alliance did not return to and implement its action plan.

"If we had used those weapons then [Prime Minister] Imran Khan's government would not have survived in Punjab and the Centre. We couldn't form a consensus on that and we think our time is better spent on focusing on the issues of the people," the PPP chairman said, adding that the action plan had also set term limits for PDM's officeholders.

"There is no benefit to us becoming a part of the PDM [again] until we don't return to that action plan and the PDM doesn't act on its points."

Bilawal, who was accompanied by ANP central vice-president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, said the PPP and ANP had resigned from the PDM platform after the alleged misbehaviour of some of its officeholders and following that, "we have not at any point in time expressed any desire to return to the alliance formerly known as the PDM."

Hoti also affirmed that the PPP and the ANP had a "very important role" to play in the current political landscape and both parties would continue to perform it from the opposition benches in consultation with their allies on a number of issues.

Their comments came after a PDM meeting on Saturday (yesterday) which was attended by many of the alliance's major bigwigs. PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had said after the meeting that the PPP and the ANP had not been discussed during the meeting, adding that it was not a topic for which more time could be spared.

"They (PPP and ANP) are not with us, that is why we didn't focus [on them]," he had said, adding, however, that they still had time to inform the alliance of their intentions.

Speaking about yesterday's meeting, Bilawal said he hadn't seen "clarity" in regards to any strategy or programme. "Perhaps they are a victim of confusion and division and we want that we don't show this confusion and contradiction at least in the parliament and together use our vote against this 'PTIMF' budget," he added.

Bilawal said the political parties which were clear in their vision, political action, strategy, message and programme could more effectively give a tough time to and oppose the government.

He remarked that despite the PPP and ANP not being present in yesterday's meeting, "the PPP's policy is continuing today as well. Today too they (the remaining PDM parties) are not resigning and they talk about giving a tough time to the government in the parliament together, so we think we can have positive feelings for one another, wish everybody good luck and everybody has the right to do the politics of opposition in accordance with their manifesto and ideology."

The PPP chairman said it would not seem appropriate to utter "bad things about one another" after spending time together doing politics, adding that both the PPP and the ANP saw other political parties with respect.

He emphasised that members of the opposition might not be sitting in the same room but they had a consensus on many points, held mutual positions, considered the ruling PTI government responsible for the nation's difficulties and condemned the recent attacks on journalists.

He also hit out at the government's foreign policy, saying an irresponsible role by Pakistan could have dire implications for the country and the region and "we hope that any decisions will be taken with consultation for the benefit of this region."

"As far as the government's stance on the economy is concerned, we think that stance is based on lies and the witness for our stance is the nation of Pakistan. The people of Pakistan can tell you that the economy is not progressing; they're facing historic inflation, unemployment and poverty [...] so the economy you and we all see day and night in Pakistan is going from bad to worse."