In a public address at the inauguration ceremony of the Hussainabad Water Filtration Plant in Hyderabad, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed his concerns about his party’s allies in the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led ruling coalition. He suggested that they may be “scared” and “running away from elections.” Bilawal reiterated the importance of not succumbing to fear in politics, emphasizing that allies should participate in by-elections, local government elections, and general elections.
This statement seems to criticize the prioritization of delimitation by the coalition’s allies over holding elections within the constitutionally mandated 90-day period following the dissolution of assemblies. The PPP, along with PML-N and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl), played a significant role in the coalition that ousted former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion in April of the previous year. The coalition’s term in government ended prematurely on August 9 when the National Assembly was dissolved, three days earlier than required.
According to Article 224 of the Constitution, elections should be conducted within 90 days of the premature dissolution of the National Assembly, which in this case would be by November 9. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has ruled out elections being held this year due to the need for fresh delimitation of constituencies based on the new 2023 digital census results. The ECP refers to Section 17(2) of the Elections Act, which states that constituency delimitation must be done after every officially published census.
While the PPP insists on elections within three months, their former allies appear to prefer waiting until after the completion of the delimitation process, which could potentially exceed the constitutionally mandated 90-day limit. PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari stated that completing the delimitation exercise is necessary before holding elections. However, when questioned about his father’s statement deviating from the party’s stance, Bilawal expressed his commitment to follow the decisions made by the party leadership.
Bilawal clarified that while he is bound to his father in family matters, he follows the Constitution and party policy when it comes to political matters. He explained that the demand for elections within 90 days was a decision made collectively by the party, and he is obliged to support the decisions of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) and the party’s workers.
Overall, Bilawal’s comments shed light on the disagreements within the ruling coalition regarding the timing of elections and the importance of fulfilling constitutional obligations within a specified time frame.