Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday reiterated his demand to hold general elections in the country within the constitutional period of 90 days.
Bilawal reiterated his party’s strong stand in the run-up to the polls when a section of the mainstream media claimed that the PPP would “adjust” its position on the polls in 90 days.
On March 5, a statement from the PPP chairman was shared on his official handle X, formerly known as Twitter: “Chairman Pakistan People’s Party @BBhuttoZardari has insisted that general elections be held in accordance with the constitution. Go, so that the democratic government can solve the problems of the people.
Citing the tweet, a local publication claimed it was the first time in recent weeks that the PPP had called for adherence to the constitution, without citing a 90-day deadline.
Bilawal Bhutto while talking to reporters in Karachi today said: “The People’s Party demands that elections be held within 90 days.”
He added that the PPP – which was the most vocal of all the parties demanding elections within three months – demanded that the elections be held as soon as possible and in accordance with the constitution.
Bilawal says that the People’s Party does people-friendly politics and governance. We are facing inflation, unemployment and poverty.
Without naming the establishment, the senior PPP leader said he wanted to send a message to the “puppet makers” to stop experimenting on the people of Pakistan.
He further said that let the people make their own decisions.
Responding to a question about the campaign against the People’s Party, the former foreign minister said that his party responded to propaganda and character-mongers “effectively”.
Praising the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Bilawal Bhutto said that the election watchdog had proved its “quality and credibility” to the public with its “performance” during the last four years.
“The ECP proved its efficiency [by catching the rigging] in Daska,” he added.
According to an inquiry report prepared by Joint Provincial Election Commissioner Saeed Gul, election officials and other government officials “did not perform their mandated role [and] were found to be puppets of their illegal masters”. .
NA 75 Sialkot IV by-election in Daska on February 19 was not conducted in a fair, free and transparent manner, read inquiry report. Later, the ECP declared the Daska by-election null and void and ordered re-election.
He hoped that the ECP would conduct free and fair elections within the constitutional period of 90 days.
‘Ghabrana nahi hai!’
Without naming former prime minister Imran Khan – who is currently lodged in Attock jail in the Tosha Khana case – Bilawal took a jibe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, saying: “There is no panic. ]”
“I want to say, don’t feel sorry for the people who are in jail and are having a hard time.”
The PPP Chairman further said that those who were in control of Pakistan had attacked the General Headquarters (GHQ) on May 9.
He added that the puppet makers also realized that the experiments could not go any further.
It should be noted that the previous government under the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif dissolved the National Assembly on August 9, while the assemblies of Sindh and Balochistan were also dissolved prematurely so that the electoral authority could be exercised for 90 days instead of 60 days in the country. Elections should be allowed. The legislature completed its constitutional term.
However, the ECP may not be able to hold elections within the stipulated time as the Council of Common Interests (CCI) approved the 7th Population and Housing Census 2023, days before the dissolution of the assemblies.
The CCI meeting presided over by the then Prime Minister Shehbaz approved the final results of the census which put the country’s population at 241.49 million with a growth rate of 2.55%.
The approval of the CCI has made it constitutionally mandatory for the election watchdog to post fresh delimitations in light of the 7th Census results.
According to Article 51 (5) of the Constitution, seats in the National Assembly for each province and federal capital shall be allocated on the basis of population as per the last officially published census.
Subsequently, on August 17, the ECP announced the new delimitation schedule as per the new census approved by the CCI.
According to the schedule, the notification of new delimitation of constituencies across the country will be done in December this year.
The ECP schedule shows that the new constituencies will take about four months, meaning that general elections in the country cannot be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the provincial and national assemblies.
