PPP 'shifts' stance on polls within 90 days

KARACHI: Former president and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday expressed his confidence in Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), saying fresh delimitation has become mandatory after the new census was notified, ARY News reported.

In a statement issued by the PPP on its social media, the co-chairman expressed full confidence in Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Rana and all ECP members hoping that the commission will hold elections according to the Constitution.

Zardari’s remarks came after a number of PPP leaders, including its chairman Bilawal Bhutto, demanded the ECP announce the election date, adding polls should be held in 90 days according to the Constitution.

Asif Ali Zardari also urged the caretaker government to complete the initiatives taken under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

“The country is currently going through an economic crisis. We all should worry about the economy first instead of politics,” the former president added.

The shift in PPP’s stance came a day after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto urgedthe ECP to announce the date for general polls and adhere to the constitutional requirement of holding elections within 90 days.

Speaking to journalists in Karachi, the former foreign minister asked ‘people who want to impose puppets onto the country’ that stop conducting such experiments on people of Pakistan and let them make their own decisions.

“If the people of Pakistan choose Shehbaz Sharif or Nawaz Sharif then we should all accept it. If the people choose PPP, then all should accept it. And if the people choose PTI, then we will have to accept it,” he added.

Referring to general elections, Bilawal Bhutto stated that the polls should be held as soon as possible or within 90-day constitutional limit.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PPP reiterated the same when its delegation met the Election Commission members.