Daily Times

In an apparent jibe at former coalition partner Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Wednesday that no one knows when the general elections are supposed to be held but a “certain party” already has this information.

The statement came in the wake of divided opinions about the date for the polls among the stakeholders, raising concerns of another constitutional crisis in the country.

Amid this confusion, President Dr Arif Alvi, earlier in the day, proposed November 6 as the date for the country’s next general elections in a letter written to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja. The proposal came following the PTI’s, the party to which Dr Alvi belongs, insistence that the president immediately reveal the election date.

Meanwhile, the caretaker government emphasised that only the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) possessed the authority to make such an announcement. “No one knows when the elections are supposed to be held, not me, or the chief election commissioner, but a certain party is repeatedly announcing elections in February next year. This is the reason I talk about level playing field,” Bilawal said while addressing party workers in Muzaffargarh.

As far as delimitations are concerned, Bilawal maintained, if they are to take place, they could be done within 90 days as per the constitution, adding that if they are to be delayed, then the ECP can see to it that at least the date is given.

He said that the previous government was run by an alliance of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the PPP, each are answerable for their own ministerial performances.

“The problems of the country are such that one party cannot claim that it alone will be able to handle everything, we have to move forward with a united approach,” he added.

He said that it is unfortunate that political polarisation has turned us into enemies instead of political opponents. “We would need to create an equilibrium which allows for all political parties to operate independently but work in unity for the country,” he added. The PPP chairman said that the PDM does not seem interested in the Charter of Economy anymore like it used to be. “We had also wished for a second CoD [Charter of Democracy] to take place,” he added.

Bilawal said that it is very difficult to engage with those who were directly involved in anti-state acts such as the perpetrators of May 9, but the rest, regardless of their political affiliation are all citizens of Pakistan and we are willing to work with them for the sake of the country.

He said that the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the party will decide the election strategy but it is his personal wish for every constituency to be won by the arrow of the PPP. Bilawal said that the upcoming manifesto of the PPP will include many programmes such as that of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). He said that the party will devise its strategy regarding the elections in its CEC meeting, scheduled in Lahore for today (Thursday).