PPP against delaying elections, says Kundi

Federal minister says PPP fielding candidates in all constituencies in upcoming by-polls

LAHORE:

Federal Minister of State on Poverty Alleviation Faisal Karim Kundi has said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is against delaying elections, adding that by-polls in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) should be held in the stipulated time period.

“PPP contested elections after former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and during times when their party leaders were under threat, so no excuses should be coined to delay these elections,” he furthered.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Kundi also said that “elections is not a problem; elections is a solution to all the problems in the system”. He added that the party hopes that elections are held in time.

Read: ECP sets Mar 19 for by-polls on 31 vacant NA seats

The spokesperson furthered that the ruling coalition party is fielding candidates in all constituencies in the upcoming by-polls, adding that he hopes that “sense would prevail and other parties in Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will also follow suit”.

The federal minister added that they “were never part of any alliance and their decision to contest elections, contrary to the decision taken by PDM, should not come as much of a surprise to anyone”.

Kundi also said that PPP had suggested to PDM to participate in elections and had advised them “not to leave any field open”. However, he added, “PDM believed that there was no point exhausting their energy on these elections”.

“PPP is only allied with the PDM in government, and that’s it,” said Kundi.

On the other hand, PDM, according to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) spokesperson Moulana Amjad, was yet to decide whether to field candidates or not.

Also read: Parties begin preparations for Punjab Assembly polls

Recently, PDM Chief Moulana Fazl Ur Rehman, met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to discuss, amongst other issues, the issue of by-polls.

It was expected that a formal statement would be issued settling the dust on the matter, however, thus far there has been no official word.

According to a former PML-N office-bearer familiar with the development, Fazl during the meeting reiterated his position before the premier that the PDM should not contest the upcoming by-elections.

He added that both the leaders also discussed the possibilities of contesting elections in alliance with all parties in the government and devising a seat-adjustment formula.

ECP announces by-polls date

The announcement by PPP comes a week after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that by-elections on 31 vacant seats of the National Assembly would be held on March 19.

According to a schedule released by the electoral watchdog, nomination papers would be submitted from Feb 10 to 14, which would be scrutinized on Feb 18.

The candidates would be able to withdraw the nomination papers till March 1. After that, the election symbols would be allotted to the candidates on March 2.