LAHORE        -        President Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Asif Ali Zardari said Thursday ruled out the possibility of early general elections in the country stating that it is neither good for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) nor the democracy. “I don’t think there is any possibility of the establishment forcing early elections. It’s too immature and too soon to say anything about the elections,” the former president said during an interview with a private TV channel. “It (snap polls) will not suit us or democracy.” In the same breath, the PPP leader said that the coalition parties would contest the polls if the PTI succeeded in dissolving the provincial assemblies. Asif Ali Zardari also said that he would ‘see how many MPAs Imran is able to get.’ While responding to question about the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) tabling no-confidence motions, Asif Ali Zardari said: “Inshaa Allah (God willing).” He went on to say that the motions would be submitted everywhere. “We have seats even in KP. We have some friends there who have gone astray […] we have to bring them back. We will bring a way in which they won’t have to resign.” Zardari claimed that he had numbers in Punjab which were sufficient to throw out the PTI government. When asked if Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi could be reached out to again, the PPP chairman said that there was a distance between the two of them. “I made Elahi deputy prime minister and gave them 17 ministries. This time they opted out themselves. We have bigger choices than them now.” The former president also said that the PDM, the ruling alliance comprising several political parties, had decided to file a motion of no confidence in the Punjab and KP assemblies. He added that they would continue to play the role of the opposition if the provincial assemblies are not dissolved. The statement from the PPP co-chairman comes at a time when several PTI lawmakers in Punjab, according to sources, have advised the party’s chairman, Imran Khan, against dissolving the provincial assembly immediately. The development came after the PTI’s high-level committee submitted a report in relation to the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly to Khan. The lawmakers also advised the PTI chief not to immediately dissolve the assembly, citing the ongoing development projects in their constituencies. Imran Khan called off his long march towards Islamabad last week announcing quitting assemblies across the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. The party’s leadership, according to PTI Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry, had approved the dissolution of assemblies in both provinces but the final decision will be made after further consultations. ‘pm’s constItutIonAl rIGht’ In response to a question on the appointment of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir, Zardari said that the new army chief came on the institution’s choice. “I told PM Shehbaz to use his constitutional right. I told him we are your allies […] we give you authority to use your constitutional power. Shehbaz is a good man; he could have not called us and selected the COAS.” The former president said that there may be some things that coalition leaders differed on but promised that it won’t dent their alliance because “everything is irrelevant, only Pakistan is relevant”. He went on to say that he didn’t personally know Gen Munir. “He was the first person on the list [sent to the Prime Minister House]. And as per seniority, he was selected.” Zardari said that former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa never approached him for an extension. “He might have said it to the prime minister. I wanted to lobby for Gen Aamer, who was sixth on the list, but I could not because the situation was not good.” Talking about the institutions’ decision to stay apolitical, he said that “the army has walked ahead by staying apolitical”. ‘mAkInG Full pAyments’ During the interview on Thursday, Zardari claimed that he could defeat PTI chairman Imran Khan from any constituency “except for Mianwali where the Nawab of Kalabagh will stand against him”. “If I get myself shot and gather 25,000 people, where is the popularity in this? He lost against me by 21,000 votes in Sindh. We can fight him politically.” He alleged that Imran was “making full payments” and promised to hold him accountable. The former president also said that the government didn’t try to implicate Imran in any case. “If he has to be held accountable, NAB (National Accountability Bureau) will do it. If he did sell the watch then a case would be lodged against him automatically.” He, however, stated that he wasn’t aware of any of Imran’s wrongdoings. “Imran’s game was bigger and is still bigger. His game is not based in Pakistan. It’s based somewhere else,” Zardari claimed. In response to a question on whether he could reach an understanding with Imran, the former president said he could not “run after a man who keeps barking”. “And even if it has to happen, the executive will do it, not me,” he added. Zardari condemns suicide attack in Quetta President Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday strongly condemned the suicide attack on police personnel in Quetta that caused the loss of precious lives. In a statement issued here by the party secretariat, he said that the targeted vehicle was carrying the volunteers of the polio vaccination eradication campaign, and termed the incident an “unforgivable crime.” Asif Zardari was of the view that the federal and provincial governments should give exemplary punishment to handlers of the elements involved in such subversive activities. He said attacking the polio eradication team was an “attack on our future generations.” Asif Zardari sympathized and condoled with the families of martyred officials. He asked to provide the best possible health facilities to the injured and also prayed for their early recovery.