PTI never tried to block Shehbaz Sharif’s path to premiership: Bilawal

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Saturday claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) never tried to block PML-N nominee Shehbaz Sharif’s path to premiership as the “Imran Khan-led party refuses to talk with other political parties”, ARY News reported.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, the former foreign minister said that Shehbaz Sharif, who is the joint candidate for prime minister’s slot, should thank PTI along with PPP after becoming premier for the second time.

“PTI never tried to block Shehbaz’s path to premiership; PTI founder may have decided not to fight against Shehbaz,” Bilawal Bhutto said, noting that the PPP was giving votes to the party which approached it to form the next government in the Centre.

He said that Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) should tell the truth as they lack numbers to form government in the Centre. “PTI never tried to talk with other political parties, including PPP, for vote,” he added.

Bilawal further castigated the Imran Khan-founded PTI for prioritising ‘personal gains’ over the national interest.

Responding to a question regarding Imran Khan’s letter to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to block Pakistan’s financial aid over alleged rigging Bilawal said that the letter has no “importance but it would expose PTI’s real face before the nation”.

Referring to ongoing protests against “election rigging” in Sindh, the PPP chairman said that political opponents could not blackmail them by levelling false allegations.

“Those parties which cannot win the polls without rigging are now protesting against election manipulation today without providing any solid evidence,” he said, asking the protesting parties to approach legal forums to address their rigging claims.

PML-N and PPP reached an agreement on forming a government in Centre as both parties have agreed on a ‘power-sharing formula’ following days of negotiations.

“PPP and PML-N have achieved the required number and [now] we are in a position to form the government in Centre,” PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said while addressing a joint press conference at Zardari House in Islamabad.

Bilawal Bhutto pointed out that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed candidates and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) failed to achieve a simple majority to form government in the Centre.

He said that that both parties are going to form the coalition government and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif will once again be the country’s prime minister, praying that they would succeed in solving the problems of Pakistan.

Elections 2024

Political stakeholders were making efforts to forge alliances and secure 169 seats in the 336-member lower house of parliament.

PTI-backed Independent candidates consolidated their lead in the Pakistan general elections 2024 over mainstream political parties, especially in the National and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assemblies, throughout the result announcement process.

According to the results announced so far, PTI-backed independent candidates have managed to win 92 seats. PML-N is in the second position with 79 seats, while the PPP has won 54 seats.

The MQM-P won in 17 constituencies, JUI-F in four, and PML-Q in three, while IPP and BNP won two seats each.

Following the general elections, both the PML-N and PPP had formed committees to decide the terms and conditions for the next federal government.

Initially, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto was eyeing the slot of the prime minister but later pull out himself of the race. He had unequivocally announced that his father, PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, should be given the coveted slot of the country’s president.

Although the PML-N candidate for PM slot was Nawaz Sharif, the party later changed its mind. It later nominated its president and Nawaz’s younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, for the premier’s position to lead a new alliance.