PPP throws weight behind PM in case of no-trust move

KARACHI:

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said his party will fully support Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif if the president asks him to take a vote of confidence.

Speaking during the Express News programme ‘Centre Stage’, the scion of the Bhutto family said, “I agree 100% that we will accomplish it, we have proved it before and will show again. We are ready to compete.”

The foreign minister said that he did not see an environment where the president would ask for a vote of confidence from the prime minister and if such a situation arose, the “PPP will complete the numbers”.

He said that they are ready for the local government elections. The PPP has appointed its representative in each union council, he added.

“The mayor of Hyderabad will be from the PPP, while there is a desire to bring a mayor from Karachi too. If there are provincial elections, new governments will be formed there,” he added.

Bilawal remarked that separation from the Federation would not be in favour of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

He said that it would be better, in fact a “major success” for democracy if the governments completed their term.

To a question about Punjab and the general elections, the PPP chief said that the parties in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) might make seat-to-seat adjustments in the elections.

He also said that as a political party, the PPP was always ready for elections.

Also read: PM Shehbaz will be ‘put to test’ through confidence vote: Imran

 

“We want the government to fulfil its term,” he remarked.

The PPP chief said that it would be good for the people of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) that the government of Imran Khan ended there because a caretaker government and provincial elections would be better for the provinces and the people.

He said that at present the country was in trouble, the burden of which was being borne by every citizen.

“Due to the policies of Imran Khan, the problem of terrorism is resurfacing,” he claimed, adding that they had to fight them.

“We will take the people out of these difficulties and go to the general elections, God willing,” he said. “People are worried about the flood situation.”

The foreign minister said that Imran left behind an economic crisis. However, he added, Saudi Arabia made a good announcement, and the United Arab Emirates also helped, but the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) programme was to be completed.

On talks with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he said that talks would be possible only if Imran came to parliament first, and only if there was an opposition leader in parliament.

“When they will leave the field and run away, they will sit in their homes and give a speech on Zoom, then the conversation will not work in such a situation,” he remarked.

On the polls, Bilawal said that everyone knew the election schedule. “The year 2023 is the year of elections,” he added.

“Now that he is no longer the prime minister, what has happened to Khan that he cannot wait for a few months?” he asked.

Bilawal said it was a good thing that the institution announced its neutrality and politicians were returning to their homes.