Daily Times

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has accused former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif of pressuring the caretakers to skew the ballot in his favour.

In an interview with a foreign media outlet, the former foreign minister asserted that it would be difficult for his party to ally with the PML-N led by Nawaz Sharif.

“It is not possible for me to work with them in future,” Bilawal said, contending that the PML-N with which the PPP had signed a Charter of Democracy (CoD) was distinctly different from the one which is not ready to give respect to the vote.

The PPP chairman, while charging Nawaz Sharif with exerting pressure on the administration to manipulate the outcome of the elections, warned him of employing such undemocratic tactics. He hoped that neither the caretakers nor the administration would succumb to this undue demand.

Bilawal, however, expressed his suspicion that the caretakers would side with the Sharifs, mentioning that it was former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and former opposition leader in the National Assembly Raja Riaz who had come up with the appointment of Anwaarul Haq Kakar to lead the caretaker set-up.

“The same Raja Riaz is now contesting election on PML-N ticket,” he added. Asked about the establishment’s involvement in politics, Bilawal noted that the politics in Pakistan was still evolving and politicians responsibly needed to initiate drastic steps in this respect.