Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that his father, Asif Ali Zardari, would be the party’s candidate for the slot of president, adding that after assuming the charge the PPP co-chairman would save the federation and defuse the political tension in the country.
Addressing a Youm-e-Tashakur rally in Thatta on Sunday to celebrate the election victory in Sindh, Bilawal asked his party supporters to take to the streets on his call, in the same way, they came out during the era of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his assassinated mother and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
He said the PPP raised the slogan of “Pakistan khappay” to “extinguish the fire of [political] uncertainty erupted in all the four provinces”.
The PPP chairman said they would lodge their candidates’ complaints regarding rigging in the February 8 elections with the appropriate legal forum.
If the relevant forum failed to provide them justice then they would stage protests along with the masses, he warned. The former foreign minister, however, clarified that he is not in favour of protest as if he also starts the street protests it will harm the country and the federation.
“Jialas were martyred in Karachi, Mirpur Khas and Moro,” Bilawal said, adding that his party’s candidates came under attack in Balochistan as well. He was of the view that his party’s mandate was also stolen.
The upcoming government in Sindh would be formed purely based on Form 45, the PPP stalwart added.
Urging all political parties to give preference to people’s interests over their objectives, the PPP leader said.
Stressing the need for reconciliation, he said that no power could harm democracy and the federation if they worked jointly. Bilawal further said that "it is the time to save the country". The political parties should lodge their complaints about rigging on the relevant forum, he added.
Talking about the numbers, the PPP chairman said that it was not his right to present himself as a candidate for the prime ministership. “We neither want the prime minister’s chair [slot] nor any ministry. We just want people’s problems to be solved.”
In return for votes for the prime minister’s slot, the PPP would seek rights for the flood affectees in Sindh and Balochistan, Bilawal said.
Sharing the details of dialogues with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in connection with a proposed coalition government in the Centre, the PPP chief said that he was asked to give the initial three-year term to them and the remaining two years to him but he rejected the offer.
“I rejected [offer] and said that the people of Pakistan will make me the prime minister.”
The PPP leader said that he would convey the people’s voice in the National Assembly.
