PPP withdraws from by-polls

Candidates backed by the Pakistan People’s Party – a major coalition partner in the PDM-led federal government – have decided to steer clear of the upcoming by-polls on National Assembly seats.

The candidates will withdraw their nomination papers from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday (today), while PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has also greenlighted the decision after consultation with party leaders.

The decision is being attributed to the PML-N-led PDM’s ‘pressure’ to convince its ally to stay away from the by-polls and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s advice against jumping into the electoral fray at a time when economic and political instability did not favour the ruling coalition

The by-elections for the vacant National Assembly seats of former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers are to be held next month in the wake of the acceptance of resignations of the former ruling party’s lawmakers, paving the way for their de-seating by the ECP.

All parties of the ruling coalition, the Pakistan Democratic Movement have already announced their decision to boycott the elections.

PPP is a key coalition partner and had previously decided to contest the by-elections. The nomination papers of all the candidates of PPP were submitted after approval from the chairman.

However, the pressure from PDM to boycott the election was building up, prompting Bilawal to call a consultative meeting on the matter.
During the meeting, it was decided that PPP would also withdraw from the by-elections.

According to PPP’s acting president in Punjab, all their candidates have already withdrawn their nomination papers from the commission.