Chilas: Chairman Pakistan People's Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has called on the federal government to accelerate work on the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, arguing that the project has become increasingly important in light of what he described as India's 'water aggression' under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "No other project is more important than Diamer-Bhasha Dam," he said, urging Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to show "Shehbaz speed" in the completion of the project at the earliest.Addressing an election rally at a football ground in Chilas on Wednesday, Bilawal Bhutto said the dam should be treated as a national priority and completed without further delay. He urged the federal authorities to focus on the project before initiating other development schemes through the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).The PPP chairman said his party had secured the highest number of votes in the previous Gilgit-Baltistan elections but alleged that nine seats had been taken away from the party. He accused rival politi cal groups of attempting to influence the electoral process and said the PPP was relying solely on public support ahead of the June 7 vote.Bilawal Bhutto expressed confidence that PPP supporters would help elect a chief minister from the party, promising that a future PPP government would fulfill its commitments to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. He highlighted the party's longstanding ties with the residents of Chilas, describing the relationship as spanning three generations.During his speech, Bilawal paid tribute to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, saying she had challenged military rulers and became a symbol of the voices of ordinary Pakistanis. He also praised President Asif Ali Zardari for restoring the 18th Constitutional Amendment and advancing welfare initiatives associated with the PPP's longstanding 'Roti, Kapra aur Makaan' slogan.He announced that the upcoming federal budget would include an increase in funding for the Benazir Income Support Programme, describing the move as part of the party's efforts to support lower-income households.Turning to the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project, Bilawal said it should have been completed years ago and claimed that political developments had delayed its construction. Addressing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directly, he called for the same urgency often associated with major infrastructure projects in Lahore to be applied to Diamer-Bhasha.The PPP chairman also highlighted what he described as three major achievements of the party: strengthening Pakistan's democratic framework through constitutional reforms, advancing the country's nuclear and missile capabilities, and ending the presence of foreign military bases in Pakistan. He said the party had consistently defended national sovereignty and taken decisions in the country's long-term interests.Referring to the legacy of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Bilawal said Pakistan still needed a political force capable of engaging confidently with the international community while safeguarding natio nal interests.Bilawal praised President Asif Ali Zardari, saying he continued to raise his voice for the people after Bhutto's assassination.He credited President Zardari with the launching of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), saying he had not forgotten the people of GB.Bilawal reiterated that he wanted the region to benefit from the 18th Amendment, saying a stronger GB would contribute to Pakistan's overall economic progress.Highlighting the PPP government's record in Sindh, he said the province had expanded healthcare services following the 18th Amendment."We have built a network of hospitals in Sindh and kept medicines, operations and transplants free," Bilawal said, adding that the PPP would make similar healthcare facilities available in GB.The PPP chairman also spoke about foreign military bases in the past, saying that facilities previously used by other countries had been closed under a PPP-led government.According to Bilawal, the PPP government shut down all foreign military bases and "bade farewell to the guests", listing it among the PPP's major achievements.In an apparent reference to jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, Bilawal Bhutto criticised assertions that the former premier had said "absolutely not" to foreign military bases, saying the bases had been closed beforehand.