KARACHI: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has shown some flexibility in its position on holding general elections within 90 days, calling for elections “according to the Constitution” without specifying a specific timeline.
Recently, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced its delimitation plan, making it unlikely that elections will be held within 90 days. The PPP had been the most vocal party in demanding nationwide elections within three months.
Senior PPP leaders, including Sherry Rehman, Nisar Khuhro, and Nayyar Bukhari, had repeatedly emphasized the demand, even suggesting taking legal action if the ECP failed to meet the constitutional deadline.
However, the party’s top leadership, including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, has now advocated for adhering to the Constitution in resolving the country’s challenges through the continuation of the democratic process.
A statement issued by the Bilawal House after meetings with party leaders, including former Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah, Mr. Khuhro, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Syed Naveed Qamar, and Shagufta Jumani, expressed the need for elections to be held according to the Constitution, without explicitly referring to the 90-day deadline.
Mr. Khuhro, who reiterated the demand on August 12 following the dissolution of the Sindh Assembly, also seemed to align with the new party line. He stated that the PPP had always supported the Constitution and would continue to do so for a strong and prosperous democratic system.
The meetings discussed political and economic situations, public issues, and organizational matters. Mr. Bhutto-Zardari emphasized that the PPP was prepared for elections and would actively participate in them.
The statement quoted the PPP chairman as saying, “The party’s organization and units should be prepared to play a dynamic and effective role by ensuring a door-to-door election campaign. Women’s active participation is crucial for achieving better results in elections. Women should play a positive role in general elections across the country.”
During the meeting, the former CM briefed the party chairman about recent decisions by the caretaker government that would negatively impact welfare projects in Sindh.
The statement mentioned, “In light of inflation, the previous PPP government in Sindh had allocated subsidies for public transport to prevent fare increases, but the caretaker government has discontinued these subsidies.” It also claimed that the caretaker government had frozen funds allocated for development projects and government hospitals in Sindh.