ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the government could not amend the constitution by an ordinance.

Addressing a news conference on Saturday, the PPP chairman questioned the need to promulgate an ordinance when the matter is sub judice and a court ruling is awaited.

He criticised the government's move to push for open ballot by saying: "It seems that they even have no trust in their own party members."

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan "is not satisfied with his numbers in the Senate".

The PPP chairman said that the government was "in a state of panic" over the opposition's decision to contest the elections.

He asked that when the reference was in the court then why the court was being pressurised by introducing an ordinance.

“Imran Khan is shivering inside because he does not trust his members, so he is trying to hold Senate elections by open ballot,” he said.

The chairman PPP said that the PTI wanted to use every illegal means to achieve its interests.

“If the government wanted to bring a constitutional amendment, why did it not contact political parties in the assembly for creating a consensus on the issue? he questioned. He said that the PPP wanted a comprehensive amendment. “Now he (Imran Khan) is getting the ordinance approved by the cabinet, and this act is to put pressure on the judiciary. Every such effort by the PTI will fail,” he said. He said that his party, along with the PML-N had always desired transparency in elections and that the government was demonstrating a complete "lack of seriousness".

Answering a question, Bilawal said that the PPP’s stance was that the 2018 elections were rigged.

He said that the long march was a democratic way to protest.

He said that it was clearly written in the action plan of the PDM that option of no-confidence would be used against this government.

“Now the PDM has decided to contest the Senate elections jointly and it must be making some difference that is why Imran Khan is worried.”

He said that the short-term goal of the PDM was to dislodge this government and long-term goals include getting rid of the Establishment’s interference in politics.

Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that he had total trust on his members and they would never disappoint him.

He said that the PDM had decided not to hold dialogue with the Establishment.

Bilawal said that Imran Khan distributed National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) like candies to his cronies and Aleema baji.

Imran Khan has given NRO to Ehsanullah Ehsan, the sugar mafia, flour mafia, and the biggest NRO was given to Papa John's Pizza.

Now Imran Khan is asking for NRO from the PDM but we will not let Imran Khan flee and he will have to be held accountable for every crime which he has committed.

He said that it seemed that like elections 2018, the senate elections would be rigged by making the institutions controversial.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021