ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the negotiations could not be held with anyone by putting a gun to their heads.
“Although the PPP is trying to build consensus on elections among the country’s political leadership, any dialogue would be futile if it is carried out “with a gun to your head”,” the PPP Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, expressed these views while addressing a news conference at Zardari House on Thursday.
“We opposed One Unit in the past, and we still oppose it today. There is a conspiracy to reintroduce it once again,” he claimed.
He said that the PPP is in favour of holding elections on the same day and is ready to talk with everyone for this purpose. “All the parties of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) stand by the decisions of the Parliament. If elections are held ahead of time in one province at the behest of one party, it will have a negative impact on the entire country,” he said.
Bilawal said that our negotiation efforts are still in process. He said that a summit meeting of all parties was to be held after Eid.
“Our stand has been that elections should be held on time. In contrast, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has obtained a stay from the Peshawar, Lahore and Sindh High Courts that elections should not be held in their constituencies before 60 days.
During Imran Khan’s tenure, the court’s order regarding local body elections in Punjab was not obeyed. In Sindh we could not even elect our own mayor despite months having passed since the elections,” he said.
He said that for negotiations, he formed a committee for the purpose and sent Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Naveed Qamar and Qamar Zaman Kaira to all parties. He said that he also went to Dera Ismail Khan to meet Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday. He said that it is becoming difficult to agree on a couple of matters among the allies.
“Negotiations are the work of political parties. We are trying our best, we have been doing it before; we are doing it now.
Even today, we understand that democracy is in danger if no solution can be found through political dialogue. If there is political stability in the country, there will be economic stability,” he said.
Bilawal said that the public has no interest in whether it was a 3/4 decision or a 2/3 decision. “A common man is concerned about bread for his children.
We want to get rid of these problems of the people. Unfortunately, instead of focusing on the economic situation or the flood victims’ rehabilitation, they have become involved in other issues.
The judiciary has never been so divided in the history of Pakistan. I hope that before retiring, the chief justice will create consensus among his judges just like creating consensus among political parties. If the chief justice were to forge a consensus among his judges before retiring, he would earn himself a place in history,” he said.
“We had difficulties in reaching a consensus among allies on negotiations. If negotiations are attempted with a gun to the head, then how can a consensus be reached? Before meeting Maulana Sahib, I was hopeful that we might be able to reach an agreement.
However, if there is an impression of setting up a panchayat or negotiating at gunpoint, then how can we be successful?” Bilawal said while posing a question.
Responding to a question on visiting India from 4-5 May to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Goa, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that he will go to India to attend the SCO meeting. He said that Pakistan is committed to the implementation of the SCO Charter.
He said that he will contact all political parties before visiting India. He will take feedback from political parties and devise his strategy in light of it.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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