In a significant political development, the coalition parties in Pakistan, comprising the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), and Istehkam Pakistan Party (IPP), have thrown their weight behind the nomination of Asif Ali Zardari from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for the presidency.
The endorsement came to light during a gathering hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, where members of the National Assembly and Senate from PML-N and its coalition partners were invited to a dinner reception.
The event was attended by the joint presidential candidate Asif Ali Zardari, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and members of their party including Yousaf Raza Gilani, Senator Raza Rabbani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, and Khurshid Shah.
Read more: Zardari-led PPP delegation calls on PM Shehbaz
MQM-Pakistan's Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Dr Farooq Sattar and Mustafa Kamal also participated in the event. Leaders of the IPP, including Awn Chaudhry, and others were also present, while Senator Ishaq Dar of PML-N, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, and other PML-N members of the National Assembly and Senate attended. Among them were Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Khawaja Asif, and Khawaja Saad Rafique.
During the event, PM Shehbaz reiterated his endorsement of Asif Ali Zardari for the presidency, a sentiment echoed and supported by all coalition parties present.
"We will vote for Asif Ali Zardari, and we are united to change the fate of the country," said the premier while addressing the participants.
"At this time, the country's economy is facing difficulties. If we all contribute, the crisis will end."
The coalition government secured two-thirds of the votes in the recent general elections, and this would be reflected during the presidential election, he added.
He noted that the coalition federal government was formed again with consensus and unity, alongside the formation of the PPP government in Sindh, the PML-N government in Punjab, and a coalition government in Balochistan.
"We must respect the mandate of the people," he emphasised, adding, "The world is watching Pakistan, observing how the new government will overcome challenges and resolve issues."
He expressed gratitude to his coalition partners, PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, and leaders of allied parties for re-electing him as the prime minister.
The premier acknowledged that his government was facing immense challenges akin to the Himalayas, especially concerning the troubling economic indicators.
"Our gas and electricity circular debt has soared to Rsfive trillion. The debt of PIA has ballooned to Rs825 billion. The annual electricity theft amounts to Rs500 billion," he lamented, underscoring the gravity of the economic situation.
He highlighted that the government had refunded Rs65 billion to exporters, stressing the need to expand the tax base while reducing the burden on those already taxed.
He pointed out that Pakistan's tax-to-GDP ratio was just 9.8 per cent, whereas it was higher in other countries. He also highlighted the losses of state-owned entities, amounting to hundreds of billions of rupees, and the government's reliance on loans to cover these losses.
He informed that Rs1.7 trillion in taxes were stuck in courts due to legal disputes, vested interests, and collusion. "We must unite to lead Pakistan out of the present economic difficulties. If we fail, history will not forgive us," he remarked.
"Our goal is to improve the nation's condition, and we must present our proposals to friendly countries to attract investment."
Zardari pledges support for Shehbaz at every level
Speaking to the participants, Asif Ali Zardari expressed his gratitude towards Shehbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, and others for nominating him.
Also read: Zardari to face off against Achakzai
"I am the elder among all of you, the challenges facing Pakistan are difficult but their solution is not impossible. Einstein was not afraid of difficult challenges and Shehbaz Sharif is also not afraid of them either," he remarked.
Zardari pledged his support to Shehbaz Sharif, affirming his commitment to assist him at every level. "Fix agriculture, fix canals and build dams, let us become a force for China, all this is definitely difficult but not impossible, we will make Pakistan prosperous together, God willing," he added.
On Supreme Court recent verdict in Zulfikar Ali Bhutto murder case, Zardari remarked: "When I filed the reference, no one knew what would happen, but I knew and yesterday everyone saw that history had reversed itself and the judiciary admitted that Bhutto was killed," he recounted. "Be sure that Allah is with you because without His command nothing can be solved," he concluded.
Bilawal wants Zardari to collaborate with all political parties
On the occasion, Bilawal expressed gratitude to all the coalition parties and Shehbaz Sharif, emphasizing that Asif Ali Zardari would make history as the first civilian president of Pakistan to take office for a second term on Saturday.
"Zardari was the strongest president in the country’s history. Despite that, we passed the 18th Amendment and transferred the powers to the prime minister, abolished the power of 58-2(b) and handed it over to the prime minister," he added.
The PPP chairman expressed optimism that Zardari, once elected president, would unify the nation and resolve societal divisions, as he had done in the past, ultimately strengthening democracy through collaboration with all political parties.
"We must face Pakistan's challenges together, but we are optimistic about our success," Bilawal asserted. "We will endeavour to secure victory for our joint candidate (Zardari) with the highest possible number of votes."
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