Nawaz Sharif not looking confident enough to win premiership: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: As political parties gear up for February 8 general elections, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari fired a fresh salvo at PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, saying that the former prime minister was unable to show his face in public, ARY News reported on Monday.

Ever since the announcement of the general election date, the PPP and the PML-N have witnessed an intensifying verbal showdown with the former accusing the latter of getting ‘special treatment’.

Speaking at ARY News programme ‘Off the Record’, the former foreign minister said that the one who claims to become fourth-time prime minister was “scared” to leave house and face public, noting that the PML-N hasn’t reached out to its voters yet with the polls just a little over a month away.

When asked if Nawaz Sharif has been selected, Bilawal Bhutto said he could not give his opinion on the matter as the elections have not yet taken place.

“Mian Sahab [Nawaz] is not looking confident enough to win premiership,” he claimed, pointing out that if the PML-N supremo believes in it he would have launched the election campaign.

“He [Nawaz] should have smiled if he believes he would become prime minister,” the PPP chairman added.

Bilawal further said that the PML-N had given an impression that “they were the chosen one”. “It has been three months since Nawaz Sharif addressed a public gathering since returning to Pakistan,” he said, hinting that the party was “running away” from facing the public.

When asked about ‘possible’ delay in general elections, he maintained the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan had unequivocally stated that the elections would be held on February 8. “Whether Nawaz Sharif wants it or not, the polls will be held on the chosen date,” he added

Speaking of the resolution adopted by Senate – which sought delay in polls, Bilawal Bhutto said that PML-N should be questioned about how the resolution was tabled as the party possessed the Leader of the House slot – referring to Senator Ishaq Dar.

“How could a resolution be tabled without the will of the House of the Leader [Ishaq Dar”, he questioned.

“Not interested in forming PDM-like government”

Responding to a question about allying, Bilawal Bhutto said he was not interested in forming Pakistan Democratic Movement-like (PDM) government again.

He pointed out that the PPP joined the alliance in a bid to take the country out of the economic crisis but the “coalition government failed to achieve its goal as some parties in PDM had different intentions”.

In response to another question, the PPP chairman clarified that his father Asif Zardari’s statement about him was misquoted saying that he has no difference with the PPP co-chairman as “he himself nominated me the PPP’s candidate for prime minister slot”.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has geared up for the election 2024 as they announced the election campaign schedule for upcoming polls.

According to the schedule, PPP will hold 30 rallies across Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, kicking off the election campaign from Swabi on January 10.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) approved the name of party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for prime minister slot ahead of the general elections, scheduled for Feb 8, 2024.