Dialogue cannot happen with a gun to your head: Bilawal

PPP chairman says his party supports elections on same day, is prepared to talk to anyone for this goal

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Thursday that although his party is trying to build consensus on elections among the country's political leadership, any dialogue would be futile if it is carried out "with a gun to your head".

The foreign minister made these comments as Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial requested political leaders to hold negotiations earlier in the day after the Supreme Court resumed hearing a petition seeking to hold general elections for all national and provincial assemblies simultaneously across the country.

The CJP said that there could be no obstinacy in negotiations and that consensus could be built through bilateral talks.

Read more: Punjab polls delay case: AGP, PPP seek time for dialogue with PTI

The top judge requested that leaders of political parties meet today and negotiate, rather than after Eid. He further said that elections could be held in July after Eid.

The hearing was then adjourned till 4 pm. However, as expected, no dialogue took place between the highly-polarised political parties.

“چند عناصر کی ضد کی وجہ سے اگر زبردستی صوبہ پنجاب میں انتخابات پہلے کروائیں جائیں گے تو اس کے نتائج کا اثر باقی تمام صوبوں پر ہوگا۔”
چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی اور وزیر خارجہ بلاول بھٹو زرداری@BBhuttoZardari
1/4 pic.twitter.com/KV62rj7UW5

— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) April 20, 2023

Subsequently, the hearing was adjourned till April 27 as the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan and PPP lawyer Farooq H Naek met Justice Bandial in his chamber, seeking more time to hold dialogue with the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to evolve consensus on the matter.

"We have made attempts in the past to unify the political leadership [on elections] and are willing to do that again, but dialogue cannot take place with a gun to your head as no one will agree," Bilawal said, referring to the CJP's directives.

Read: Supreme Court refuses to backtrack from April 4 polls order

He said that the PPP supports holding elections on the same day and is prepared to talk to anyone to achieve this goal.

Bilawal said the PPP was attempting to persuade JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman or any other party who is unwilling to engage in negotiations. "Our efforts are aimed at saving democracy, which is currently in danger," he said.

The PPP chairman warned that if the issues remain unresolved, then there is danger to both the federation and democracy.

Bilawal hoped that the CJP would establish consensus within his institution before leaving his post. "Our history has never witnessed such fragmentation within the judiciary. The Supreme Court is currently undergoing a trial before the people."

He said that if elections are held in one province separately, it will have an impact on the remaining three provinces, adding that political stability will lead to economic stability.

"We opposed One Unit in the past, and we still oppose it today. There is a conspiracy to reintroduce it once again," he claimed.