News Desk Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed his interest in competing for the position of prime minister.
In an interview with a private television channel, Zardari hinted at several potential candidates within his party for the coveted role, saying that both Bilawal and Khursheed Shah could also be contenders. While refraining from disclosing a specific nominee for the top position, Zardari stated that time would unveil their chosen candidate.
Previously, Zardari had advocated for Bilawal to become the youngest prime minister of Pakistan during a rally commemorating the PPP’s 56th foundation day. The former president, who identified himself as a political scientist, emphasised the complexity of democracy and the democratic system. He also highlighted the transfer of powers to the entire parliament during his stint as the country’s president.
As the country gears up for the general elections scheduled for Feb 8 next year, concerns persist about the feasibility of conducting elections due to ongoing security issues. Zardari claimed his involvement in facilitating Shehbaz Sharif’s premiership, asserting his role in securing the necessary support for Sharif’s election as the country’s premier. Regarding the political landscape, the former president expressed a strong rejection of the presidential system for Pakistan.
He criticised the former PTI chairman, accusing him of detrimental governance and misleading overseas Pakistanis. Zardari attributed the rise to power of the PTI founder to a purported conspiracy orchestrated by certain entities and a non-existent mindset.
Refuting the possibility of an alliance with the PTI, Zardari highlighted the practical limitations faced by his party, emphasising the extensive reach of their polling stations in Nawabshah compared to the PTI’s coverage.
He also mentioned that the PTI now had lawyers as candidates who were also fighting their cases.
Commenting on the economic crisis, Zardari stressed the necessity for any government to devise a comprehensive 10-year economic plan to steer the country toward stability.
The PPPP chief appreciated the chief justice of Pakistan regarding the pending revisiting of the controversial death sentence of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the founder of the PPP, via an 11-year-old presidential reference set to be reviewed by the Supreme Court.
In response to a question, Zardari stated that the election date was in the hands of the Election Commission of Pakistan, and if elections could be moved forward or backward by eight to 10 days, it did not make a difference.
To another query, Zardari clarified that Latif Khosa was not in the PPP, while Aitzaz Ahsan was a neighbour of the former PTI chairman. He stated, “We respect Aitzaz, not his political ideology.”
