ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Wednesday asked former premier Nawaz Sharif to step back in the national interest.
Addressing a news conference here, the PPP leader said there was no need to confront the judiciary or any other institution. “I think Mian Sahib (Nawaz Sharif) should step back in Pakistan’s interest,” Bilawal said.
Nawaz Sharif was disqualified on July 28 by the Supreme Court. The Election Commission of Pakistan de-notified Sharif as a member of the National Assembly after the verdict. He was also removed as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President.
Later, Nawaz Sharif went on a protest spree across Pakistan. The former premier still the most powerful person in the ruling PML-N has been defending himself against the Supreme Court’s decision to disqualify him for hiding assets.
Bilawal said the PML-N-led government was trying to impose the national budget and usurping the right of the new government that will be formed after this year’s general elections.
“They (the government) have no right to present the budget. We will stop them in the parliament (from presenting or passing the budget),” he contended.
He said three Chief Ministers – of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan – walked out of the National Economic Council [NEC] meeting but the government was still claiming unanimity.
Bilawal said he foresaw general elections on time. “I am sure the elections will be held on time. The polls will be free and fair. The PPP will perform well in the elections,” he said.
Asked about election alliance with any party or group, he said there was no need to form alliance with the remnants of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf to defeat the remnants of General Ziaul Haq.
The PPP chief was ostensibly referring to a dissident group of the PML-N who quit the ruling party this month. The dissidents also announced to launch a struggle to make South Punjab a separate province.
The disgruntled members include Khusro Bakhtiar, Balakh Sher Mazari, Rana Qasim Noon, Tahir Iqbal, Tahir Bashir, Basit Bokhari, Saleemullah and Sardar Nasrullah Khan Dreshak. Six of them are members of the National Assembly while two are the members of the Punjab Assembly.
In the 2013 polls, the PPP lost heavily and the low-popularity readings continued until 2018. The party however is once again looking to make a comeback in Punjab with a few encouraging rallies in the populous province – that decides who will rule the country in every general elections.
Bilawal said Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan were two sides of the same coin. “They are two different people but their policies are the same. We don’t want to engage in politics of allegations and slandering,” he added.
He said there could be two ways to do politics. “One way is to abuse others and the other is to do politics of issues. The PPP wants to resolve the issues of the people,” he maintained.
The PPP chief said Nawaz Sharif did not get rid of General Ziaul Haq’s contaminations in the constitution and now he was suffering because of his refusal to implement Charter of Democracy and decontaminate the constitution.
He said PPP was a party of labourers, farmers, hard working masses and students. “Anyone who left the PPP never got his status back. I don’t want to speak about individuals but we are ready for the elections,” he said.
To a question, Bilawal said the party was in the consultation process over the caretaker set-up to conduct the general elections. “We have not yet finalised any names,” he said.
The PPP chief said he will lead the party into the election with an aim to develop the country and bring a real change.
Earlier, Bilawal’s father Asif Ali Zardari, PPP co-Chairman, had said that he would be in the driving seat after the PPP wins the general elections expected in July. Zardari said he would assume the lead role and try to drag the country out of the crisis. The former president claimed his party would even have won the 2013 polls if it was not ‘massively rigged.’
Govt trying to impose budget: Bilawal
SHAFQAT ALI
