Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday stated that his party will vote for the candidate of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for prime minister slot but will not become the part of government in Centre.
Addressing a press conference flanked by the senior leaders after the meeting of party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), he said that PPP was accepting the election results despite its concerns in the larger interest of the country.
لائیو: پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی کی سینٹرل ایگزیکٹو کمیٹی کے اجلاس کے بعد چیئرمین پاکستان پیپلز پارٹی بلاول بھٹو زرداری کی میڈیا سے گفتگو https://t.co/TzCekjm5GR
— Pakistan Peoples Party - PPP (@PPP_Org) February 13, 2024
Bilawal said that the reality was that his party did not have a mandate to form the government in the federation, adding that the PML-N and the independents had greater numbers in the Centre.
“I will not be putting myself forward for the candidacy of the prime minister,” he said.
The PPP chief said that his party had formed a committee to engage with other political parties for the formation of government and political stability in the country.
“PPP has decided that we ran this general election on a manifesto based on issues of public importance; we want to restore political stability and end this environment of political toxicity,” Bilawal said.
He said that his party had raised concerns regarding a level playing field with former President Asif Ali Zardari during the PPP’s CEC meeting and the latter had assumed that these complaints would be addressed.
“I am assuring the public that the parliament will be formed and it is a forum where their issues will be resolved,” Bilawal Bhutto said.
He said that now the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had refused to form a coalition government with the PPP which left the PML-N as the only party that had invited PPP to join the upcoming coalition government.
Instead of inclusion in the PML-N's government, Bilawal said his party will seek key posts like Senate chairman and NA speaker, as it has the right to seek positions on the constitutional posts.
He added that the PPP would try to form governments in Sindh and Balochistan.
The PPP chief said that he personally wanted Asif Ali Zardari to be the next President of Pakistan.
"The country is burning and the only person who can control the situation is Asif Ali Zardari," Bilawal asserted.
