PPP lambasts PML-N for trying to delay polls

Says Nawaz league still limited to drawing room and worried about poll results

HYDERABAD:

The Pakistan Peoples Party's Sindh leadership has criticised Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for trying to seek a delay in the conduct of general elections by challenging the delimitation of certain constituencies in the court.

At a press conference on Friday, former chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said "A party which is still limited to a drawing room is looking for excuses to delay the elections."

He said, "Our position is clear that the seats and the votes both belong to the people and the people will vote for the PPP."

Shah said the NAB until recently was a nightmare for the N-League and now suddenly the two sides seem to be on the same page. He also sought level playing field with all parties whose leaders have been nominated by NAB in corruption references.

He also opposed the stance of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif that he had initiated the Thar coal project. "Some day he may say that he won independence for Pakistan and not Quaid-e-Azam."

Shah reminded the N-League that it has gone against its commitment which was announced in their meeting in London in 2006 that the party would never again form an electoral alliance with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

Read: PML-N, PPP cry foul over PTI polls

"A ladla [blue-eyed political leader] was put on the saddle in 2018 but we won't allow another ladla to become the PM in 2024," the ex-CM said, referring to the probability of Sharif becoming elected again as the country's PM for the fourth time.

The PPP Sindh's President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said some political parties have made the rollback of 18th constitutional amendment a part of their manifestos. "Yesterday Imran Khan was saying and today Nawaz Sharif is trying to say the same that the 18th amendment has left the centre in financial straits."

He warned that the PPP will not accept any step to reduce provincial autonomy or the share of the provinces under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award. He said only acceptable changes in the amendment can be further devolution of authority from the centre to the provinces and enhancing provinces' share under the NFC award.

Khuhro requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to either fix a timeframe for disposing of appeals against the delimitation or to declare the new constituencies to stop the talk of postponement of the general elections. Commenting on the electoral partnership among the N-League, MQM-P, Grand Democratic Alliance and other parties in Sindh, the PPP's provincial president said, only weak parties seek support of other parties and that the PPP will contest the polls on its own.

He expressed gratitude to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Qazi Faez Essa for fixing hearing of the presidential reference for reopening the case of death penalty of former Prime Minister and PPP's founding chairman Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2023.