I allocate party tickets. I have authority to issue tickets for Bilawal: Zardari.

ISLAMABAD  -  Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday said that the Pakistan Tehreek- e-Insaf (PTI) chief was responsible for ruining the country’s economy.

No-confidence move was brought against the PTI Chairman to save the economy of the country, he said while talking to a private television channel. He said that all the political parties including PTI should take part in the general elections to be held on February 8, 2024, and the PPP had already started its campaign. The PPP, he said has included job creation and restoration of economy in its manifesto. About Aseefa Bhutto, he said: “She is free to contest the next elections.”

To a question about young people going abroad for jobs, he said it’s no harm in going abroad for job purpose as they will send remittances to Pakistan. To another question about the pipeline project, he said that the PPP’s last regime had made efforts for the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project to boost the industrial sector in the country.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari also claimed that no party alone would be able to form the next government after the general elections in 2024, terming his son, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, “inexperienced”. Zardari, during the interview said no party would be able to secure a majority of 172 seats in the National Assembly, and alliances would be forged undoubtedly. “What’s a chessboard? On this chessboard [the National Assembly], no one can secure 172 seats alone.”

Zardari said he supports the PML-N’s stance to ensure a conducive environment as it is better that everyone respects each other so things can move forward smoothly — as there is a possibility that alliances would be formed in the future.

Zardari also said that Bilawal is “inexperienced” and that it would take sometime for him to gain that experience. “Bilawal is much more talented than I am, but he isn’t experienced.” Bilawal is calling everyone “babay” (old politicians), not just me. The PPP stalwart said the new generation in every house says, “Dad, you don’t know anything”. 

The former president said the new generation has its own mindset and the right to express itself, noting that if he tries to intervene in their affairs, it would just lead to more mess.

“If Bilawal says, ‘You do politics, I won’t’, then what can I do? People learn over time in politics. I have made several mistakes myself.”

 Zardari also mentioned that if they were in business, then Bilawal’s narrative would have been the same, “You [Zardari] don’t know anything. It’s the same in politics,” he mentioned.

Zardari said during his tenures, there was no political prisoner as he had never resorted to revenge politics. “Every now and then, new allegations were levelled against me, but I never responded to them.” 

“We saved the ‘sword’ from rotten eggs, but they tried to steal the ‘sword’,” he said, talking about the party’s sword logo.

Speaking about the different mindsets of the top PPP leaders, Zardari stated that there are two parties — PPP and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP). Zardari said he is the president of the PPPP, which is authorised to allocate election tickets, while his son Bilawal is chairman of the PPP. 

“I allocate tickets,” he said, noting that he also has the authority to issue tickets for Bilawal in the next polls.