PPP undecided on PDM proposal to boycott NA by-elections

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has decided to take up a proposal of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to boycott the upcoming by-poll on the National Assembly seats with PPP candidates, ARY News reported on Sunday citing sources.

According to well-placed sources, the PPP chairman has summoned party candidates contesting by-polls on Punjab and KP seats to Islamabad to discuss PDM proposal of not taking part in by-elections scheduled for March 16 and 19.

The PPP chairman will consult with each party leader and final decision on boycotting NA by-elections would be taken after party meeting, they say.

The PDM leadership, in the virtual meeting held with top leadership of the PPP last week, had proposed not to take part in by-elections of the National Assembly as the united stance of the ruling coalition. Following the meeting, Bilawal Bhutto held a virtual meeting with the parliamentary board of the party and discuss the PDM proposal.

However, there was a difference of opinion among PPP leaders on the proposal because some supported it but others opposed it.

It is pertinent to mention here that by-polls on 33 NA seats would be held on March 16.

The by-polls will be held in the following constituencies:

NA-04 Swat-III
NA-17 Haripur-I
NA-18 Swabi-I
NA-25 Nowshera-I
NA-26 Nowshera-II
NA-32 Kohat
NA-38 D I Khan-I
NA-43 Khyber-I
NA-52 Islamabad-I
NA-53 Islamabad-II
NA-54 Islamabad-III
NA-57 Rawalpindi-I
NA-59 Rawalpindi-III
NA-60 Rawalpindi-IV
NA-62 Rawalpindi-VI
NA-63 Rawalpindi-VII
NA-67 Jhelum-II
NA-97 Bhakkar-I
NA-126 Lahore-IV
NA-130 Lahore-VIII
NA-155 Multan-II
NA-156 Multan-III
NA-191 Dera Ghazi Khan-III
NA-241 Korangi Karachi-III
NA-242 Karachi East-I
NA-243 Karachi East-II
NA-244 Karachi East-III
NA-247 Karachi South-II
NA-250 Karachi West-III
NA-252 Karachi West-V
NA-254 Karachi Central-II
NA-256 Karachi Central-IV
NA-265 Quetta-II