PPP opposed extension in caretaker govt’s tenure: Nayyar Bokhari

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Central General Secretary Nayyar Hussain Bokhari said Sunday that his political party opposed an extension in the caretaker government’s tenure, ARY News reported.

While talking to the ARY News programme ‘Sawal Yeh Hai’, Nayyar Bokhari said that the PPP Central Executive Committee (CEC) made 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.”

Bokhari said that PPP leaders expressed reservations after witnessing the non-implementation of the decision. He added that PPP leaders believed that ‘the match is fixed and a political party is being given special treatment.”

The PPP criticised the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for not conducting the general polls despite the Supreme Court’s (SC) directives.

Regarding Khursheed Shah’s statement, Bokhari termed it ‘a personal opinion’ but not the PPP’s stance. A few days ago, Shah sought ‘pardon from the nation as the PPP made a mistake by joining the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government.”

On Thursday, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Murad Ali Shah urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce the general election date.

Former Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah urged ECP to immediately announce the election date as it is the only solution to the country’s problems.

He said that ECP should not delay the announcement of the election date and the election schedule must be issued immediately. Shah said caretaker governments are given power for two or three months to hold fair and free elections. Prolonging the tenure of caretakers will create ‘problems’, he added.

The PPP leader said caretakers cannot make such decisions that cannot be continued by the upcoming elected government.