Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, the ceremonial head of the country's most populous province, has predicted that PPP Chairman Bilalwal Bhutto Zardari will be the prime minister of Pakistan soon.
"The era of the Bilawal's premiership is about to begin. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be the prime minister in a year of two," Governor Khan said on Sunday in a public meeting held at the Pindi Gheb area of Punjab's Attock district.
Bilawal's PPP has been propping up the PML-N led coalition government formed after February 8, 2024 general elections without becoming a part of it.
After the general elections, in which no single party could achieve a simple majority, the PPP and the PML-N agreed on a power sharing formula with the former going for constitutional positions of the president, governor of two provinces and the Senate chairmanship.
The coalition government has completed its first year this month and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is supposed to rule for another four years.
In this scenario Bilawal can only become the prime minister in case of an in-house change or victory of the PPP in snap polls which do not seem probable right now.
The PPP which was once the largest party of the country has been largely replaced in Punjab, the country's political powerhouse, with Imran Khan's PTI and the PML-N.
Some political analysts believe that in order for the PPP to reclaim its territory in Punjab, it will have to attract the anti-PML-N voters through actual confrontation with Sharif's party, which, ironically, has been now the PPP's silent partner since the ouster of Imran Khan in April 2022.
Addressing the rally participants, Governor Khan claimed that the PPP is the best party in the country as leaders of all other parties start looking down at common people once they get to parliament or become ministers in federal or provincial cabinets. The governor stated that whenever it comes to the rights and issues of the people, he will stand with them and continue to do so.
He said the entire nation stands with the Pakistan Army in the fight against terrorism.
"The Pakistan Army and other security forces are making sacrifices in the fight against terrorism, and both the PPP and the people of Pakistan salute their bravery," he said. He affirmed his commitment, saying he would stand with our institutions "yesterday, today, and tomorrow".
Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan said Pakistan is the only nuclear power in the Muslim world, and many forces want to see it weakened or dismantled. However, Pakistan remains strong because of its powerful military, he added.
He said he is not in the habit of begging for a few roads and funds, adding that the people of Attock have been deprived of development projects. "When Bilawal Bhutto becomes prime minister, more funds will be allocated for development in Attock," he said.
He also praised the youth of Attock, acknowledging their contributions to the Pakistan Army. "The youth of Attock has served the nation and laid down their lives in defense of the country," he added.
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