PPP vows no walkover for PML-N’s candidate

Bilawal urges all to accept apex court’s verdict whole-heartedly

KARACHI: Welcoming the Supreme Court verdict, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that his party will field a candidate in the election for a new prime minister against the PML-N's nominee after consultation with other opposition parties.

“Nawaz Sharif may succeed in conspiring against me, but one day he will cry. He will remember me and my father,” Bilawal quoted his mother Benazir Bhutto as saying while addressing a news conference at Bilawal House on Friday.

The young PPP chairman was flanked by senior party aides Khursheed Shah, Yousaf Raza Gilani, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

“It is incumbent upon all to accept the apex court verdict whole-heartedly,” said Bilawal, adding that the name of ex-prime minister and his co-accused must be put on Exit Control List.

Asked if it was a victory for PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who had challenged Sharif and his family in court, Bilawal said, “This is not the victory of a particular person, but of this country.”



The PPP believes parliament is supreme which is why it attempted to drag this issue over there, he added.  “When the Panama issue surfaced on April 3, it was the PPP which had demanded to take it up, but in a democratic manner,” he said.

Referring to Articles 62 and 63, the PPP chairman said it must be applied to all irrespective of political affiliation. “In contrary to the PPP, Nawaz Sharif was given more time to clarify his position and present evidence, but he failed, which paved the way for the court to take such a decision,” he added.

When his attention was diverted towards PPP leaders’ statements calling the Supreme Court decision a ‘judicial coup’, the PPP chairman said, “It is not a coup, but the verdict has come out on merit and disapproved the contention that the disqualification of a prime minister will pose a threat to democracy and parliament.”

He said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had undermined parliament by not resigning voluntarily and presenting himself for accountability according to the law made by it.

Believing the verdict would help deter corruption in high places, he called upon parliamentary committee on accountability to urgently draft an appropriate legislation to ensure across-the-board accountability.



He urged the judiciary to expedite the cases of corruption and announce decision against all, including civilians and dictators, who had ruined the country’s wealth.

To a question as to who will make the upcoming election in 2018, he said, “This will be decided by the people of this country. We should wait for it.”

He said that all pending cases before the apex court, including Asghar Khan case, must be taken to its logical end.

Talking about the reference to be filed against prime minister in National Accountability Bureau (NAB), he said, “I hope NAB will follow this case in a transparent manner because Supreme Court is keeping vigil on it.”

“PPP has started consultation and will announce the line of action soon,” he concluded.