Bilawal Bhutto accuses Nawaz Sharif of pressuring caretakers to skew ballot in his favour

Liaquat Ali

Karachi: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has, two days ahead of the general elections in the country, accused former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif of pressuring the caretakers to skew the ballot in his favour.

In an interview, the former foreign minister asserted that it would be difficult for his party to ally with the PML-N led by Nawaz Sharif.

“It is not possible for me to work with them in future,” Bilawal said, contending that the PML-N with which the PPP had signed a Charter of Democracy (CoD) was distinctly different from the one which is not ready to give respect to the vote.

The PPP chairman, while charging Nawaz Sharif with exerting pressure on the administration to manipulate the outcome of the elections, warned him of employing such undemocratic tactics. He hoped that neither the caretakers nor the administration would succumb to this undue demand.

Bilawal, however, expressed his suspicion that the caretakers would side with the Sharifs, mentioning that it was former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and former opposition leader in the National Assembly Raja Riaz who had come up with the appointment of Anwaarul Haq Kakar to lead the caretaker set-up.

“The same Raja Riaz is now contesting election on PML-N ticket,” he added.

Asked about the establishment’s involvement in politics, Bilawal noted that the politics in Pakistan was still evolving and politicians responsibly needed to initiate drastic steps in this respect.

The Bhutto scion held the view that politicians should keep their personal differences away from the realm of politics, and must practise politics within the defined political boundaries.

Asked if the incident of May 9 [when PTI workers went berserk and resorted to violent riots following the arrest of the party founder] was within the political limits, Bilawal responded in the negative.

The PPP leader opined the people should not be seeing the same faces again and again at the helm, when asked about the possibility of Nawaz Sharif assuming the role of prime minister for the fourth time. He emphasised that now was the time the role for the representation of the country was passed onto the young generation.

Bilawal doubted that the PML-N would change its political approach under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, blaming the former premier for sticking to the same old politics of division and hate.

Bilawal said he was hopeful of his party’s victory in the elections if the electoral exercise is carried out transparently and fairly.