Bilawal takes a dig at PML-N on poll date

MULTAN:

On the campaign trail, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday entered Punjab, holding the first public gathering in Muzaffargarh where he appeared to be taking jibe at the former coalition partner, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), over the election date.

Addressing the party workers in Muzaffargarh, Bilawal said, “No one knows when the general elections are supposed to be held … certain party already has this information.”

This was the reason, he said, he was talking about a level-playing field for all parties.

“No one knows when the elections are supposed to be held, not me, nor the chief election commissioner [CEC], but a certain party is repeatedly announcing elections in February next year. This is the reason, I have been talking about level-playing field,” Bilawal said.

The statement came amid divided opinions about the date of the coming general elections.

Read Bilawal demands level-playing field

Bilawal had repeatedly demanded of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the election within the constitutional timeframe of 90 days.

The ECP, however, insists on the voting after fresh delimitation of constituencies on the basis of the new census.

The fresh delimitation process required a 120-day time period. The election schedule could be announced after that, which would spread over 54 days.

Last week, PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari backed the ECP’s stance of going for the demarcation of the constituencies before holding the elections.

However, the PML-N has been saying all along that the elections should be held on the basis of new constituencies.

In his speech, the PPP chairman said that the Constitution mandated elections within 90 days of assembly dissolution. He demanded of the ECP to provide a clear date of the election, “whether it’s 90 days, 100 days, 120 days, or even 10 years”.

Bilawal said that in the 2018 election, three PPP candidates won from Muzaffargarh but added that he expected five of its candidates to succeed in the upcoming elections.

He recalled that he launched the long march against the government of the selected prime minister, “Muzaffargarh was with us”.

Read More Bilawal sets tone for PPP campaign

“We were never afraid of elections and the workers of the (Pakistan) Peoples Party know how to contest elections. We believe that elections should be held as soon as possible and the day is not far off, when we will form the government of the Peoples Party, once again,” he said.

In this regard, the PPP chairman told the gathering that a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) had been convened in Lahore on Thursday (today), in which the plan of action would be chalked out, including the PPP manifesto for the upcoming elections.

Referring to economic problems, Bilawal said that it was thought the situation would improve by benefiting the elites, capitalists and tycoons. “Instead of giving subsidies to the big people, the common man should be facilitated,” he demanded.

Bilawal stressed that the problems of the country were such that no one party could claim that it “will be able to handle everything” single-handedly, saying: “We have to move forward with a united approach.”

He regretted political polarisation which he said, had “turned us into enemies” instead of political opponents.

“We would need to create an equilibrium which allows all political parties to operate independently but work in unity for the country,” he added.

The PPP believed, he said, Pakistan’s pressing issues necessitated engagement with all political parties to secure a sustainable solution.

He added he was willing to work with everyone, except those who were directly involved in anti-state acts such as the perpetrators of May 9 violence.

(WITH INPUT FROM NEWS DESK)