Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), underscored the vital need for the upcoming general elections to follow the constitutionally set 90-day timeline.
His emphasis on Tuesday serves as a reminder of the role that constitutional processes play in ensuring a democratic government capable of tackling Pakistan’s myriad challenges.
The context for this urgency stems from the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) ongoing delimitation work, an exercise that has sparked worries over potential election delays. While the ECP has expedited the boundary-redrawing process, shifting the deadline from December 14 to November 30, concerns remain. Many speculate that the elections might be pushed to January or even February, thereby crossing the constitution’s 90-day boundary after the National Assembly’s dissolution.
Bilawal’s renewed insistence on adhering to this electoral timeframe follows the PPP leadership’s earlier call for timely elections. The message is clear: constitutional fidelity is paramount, especially as the nation inches closer to the polls.
The PPP Chairman and former Foreign Minister expressed his party’s readiness for the forthcoming general elections, affirming their full participation in the electoral process. He highlighted the PPP’s track record of steering the country out of crises and propelling it towards stability whenever it has assumed power.
Bilawal directed his party officials and dedicated workers to prepare vigorously for the upcoming general elections. He urged them to mobilize the youth across the nation, emphasizing the initiation of door-to-door campaigns to secure victory at the polls.
He expressed these views in his separate meetings with party leaders, including PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Kharo, former chief minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, former federal minister Syed Naveed Qamar, former local government minister Sindh Nasir Hussain Shah and president of PPP Sindh women chapter, Shagufta Jumani, at Bilawal House.
During the meetings, the political and economic situation of the country, public issues, and organizational matters were discussed. PPP directed the party leadership to be ready to play their dynamic and effective role for the party’s success in the upcoming elections.
However, Bilawal admitted it was not easy to get better results in the elections without the active participation of women in the democratic system. He stressed that women should play a positive role in general elections across the country. He also directed to immediately fill the vacant party posts up to taluka, union council and wards level.
During the meeting, ex-CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah told the party chairman that keeping in view the runaway inflation and economic situation in the country, the Sindh government had given subsidies for public transport so that the fares would not increase during the worst inflation. However, he added, the caretaker government has stopped subsidies.
In addition, Shah told Bilawal that the caretaker government has frozen the funds allocated for the development projects, adding the interim government has also stopped the funds of the government hospitals of Sindh.
On Shah’s briefing, Bilawal said that resolving the issues of the common man amid the worst inflation should be the first priority of the incumbent administration, demanding that people were being crushed under inflation and that the administration should take steps to provide all possible relief.
He further said that putting public welfare projects in cold storage in the current economic situation would also be against human rights.
Meanwhile, the cold war between the former ruling allies – PPP and PML-N – continued as PPP’s Information Secretary Faisal Karim Kundi reacted to the statements of PML-N leaders and said that 10 members of PPP were with ex-PM Shahbaz Sharif’s cabinet and accepted to be part of the cabinet in view of the difficult situation in the country.
Kundi said that the PPP’s federal ministers performed their responsibilities well, saying Bilawal being the foreign minister breathed new life into Pakistan’s diplomatic relations.
As PPP and PML-N leaders pointed fingers at each other over the sugar crisis when the consumers grappled with skyrocketing costs, Kundi said that the PPP had ignored all political and ideological differences for the sake of Pakistan when it continued working with the PDM government.
Moreover, Kundi said that those who were doing politics in Karachi today had neglected the metropolitan city in every period of their government. Kundi said that PPP has achieved historic success in Karachi, saying the young mayor of Karachi was working day and night.
Kundi said that Karachi is the economic solution of the country, adding PPP will continue to work for the development of Karachi.
He said that the PPP will fight the upcoming elections under its manifesto and ideology. If PPP gets the chance, he said, it will establish the best healthcare institutions across the country like it did in Sindh.
