Shehbaz Sharif thanks Bilawal Bhutto, Zardari for supporting PML-N

Abdullah Jan

Islamabad: Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed gratitude to Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) leadership for supporting Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) after the general election 2024.

The PML-N’s Shahbaz Sharif extends gratitude to PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto for their support.

Shahbaz Sharif appreciates the endorsement from his party, and expressed gratitude on behalf of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

“With the united effort from the PPP and PML-N, we will be able to get Pakistan out of political and economic crises,” Sharif said.

Earlier in the day, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto ruled out the possibility of becoming part of any coalition government, saying that his party will vote for prime minister candidate of PML-N but sit in opposition.

“The PPP has decided that we are unable or not in a position to join federal government ourselves, nor are we interested in taking ministries in such a setup,” the party chairman said while addressing a press conference following a two-day long Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting.

Bilawal Bhutto acknowledged that the reality was that his party did not have a mandate to form a government in the Centre. “Due to this, I will not be putting myself forward for the candidacy of the prime minister of Pakistan,” he said, noting that PML-N and the independents have greater numbers.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had refused to form a coalition with the PPP which left the PML-N as the only party that had invited the PPP to join the government.

“We don’t want to see chaos in the country or perpetual crisis in the country,” the PPP chairman said, adding that his party decided to support the PML-N’s candidate for the premiership to ensure political instability.

Bilawal Bhutto said that his party has accepted the election results, despite concerns, in the larger interest of the country. He urged all political parties to address the shortcomings so that “no one can point fingers at elections the next time”.

“The PPP has made the decision that we may not be a part of the government but we will engage with political parties on the issue of votes and the election of prime minister,” he added, assuring the public that the Parliament will be formed.

Moreover, he said: “We will support political parties without becoming part of the government. As far as premiership issues, budget, and legislation are concerned, we will support them.”

He also said that PPP has decided to constitute a committee for contacting other political parties. “Efforts will be made to take Pakistan in the direction which is the right of the people”, he added.

He castigated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for ‘damaging’ democracy as the Imran Khan-led party announced it would not hold dialogue with the PML-N, PPP and MQM-P. “Saying that we will not talk with anyone, it damages the country and democracy,” he noted.

Bilawal further said that PTI after refusing to hold talks with any political party decided that they could not form the government.