Bilawal Bhutto says ‘no decision on PPP-PTI alliance yet’

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said this week that there was no decision regarding an electoral alliance between PPP and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) yet.

Addressing an event, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari welcomed the announcement of the general election date by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He, however, said that it would have been better to announce the election date without the intervention of the Supreme Court.

Bilawal urged for the provision of a level playing field for all political parties. He claimed that PPP had formed its governments in 1988 and 2007 despite the non-provision of a level playing field.

The former foreign minister claimed that the PPP has never been given a level playing field in any elections. He expressed hopes that his political party would form its government in the Centre.

He urged the ECP to implement relevant laws for providing a level playing field to all political parties in letter and spirit.

Earlier, PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bokhari had said that the PPP opposed an extension in the caretaker government’s tenure.

Bokhari said that the PPP Central Executive Committee (CEC) makes all decisions. “The no-confidence motion was tabled due to PPP. We decided to join the coalition government only to complete the tenure of the assemblies.”

“There is no such agreement to retain an alliance after the dissolution of the government. PPP believes in the power of votes. We thought that elections would be held in nine months after the assemblies’ dissolution on August 9.”