LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party has said no to early polls and opposed forming a national government as well as extending tenure of the interim set-up to facilitate re-demarcation of constituencies on the basis of new census.

“No government other than the caretaker set-up is acceptable to the People’s Party,” central information secretary Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed announced here on Monday rejecting in categorical terms the proposition given by some quarters.

“Also we aren’t in favour of early polls or increasing term of the interim set-up for any reason or cause,” he told the media outside Bilawal House here.

Holding of polls is the duty of the caretakers but their constitutional tenure (of 90 days) could not be enhanced, he added.

90-day caretaker set-up is acceptable to party

He said the PPP would not accept delay in elections and would prefer polls on the basis of old constituencies.

The chief spokesman told a questioner that the party’s presence was not better in National Assembly’s constituency NA-120 (Lahore-III) even before the by-polls were held for the seat the previous month. However, analysis of the situation is being done in intra-party discussions, he added.

He said ex-president Asif Zardari is here to review and remove weaknesses within the party organisation and policies.

The PPP could secure 1,414 votes in the by-polls held on Sept 17 around half the tally of the 2013 general election when it had bagged 2,650 ballots.

Manzoor criticised Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for closing PIA’s US routes alleging the step was being taken to promote the premier’s own airline.

He cried foul in the “discriminatory” treatment being meted out to the Sharifs, recalling that Dr Asim’s wife was also suffering from cancer but NAB (the National Accountability Bureau) had released the ex-petroleum minister after 17 months.

“It seems the PML-N won’t allow indictment of the Sharifs in NAB cases. For, earlier Nawaz Sharif skipped the hearing, then Maryam (daughter of the ousted prime minister) didn’t attend the court and now some other accused will miss the hearing, further delaying the indictment process.”

Referring to PTI chairman Imran Khan’s remarks that before marrying slain PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto Mr Zardari would sell cinema tickets but now owned assets worth billions of rupees, he said, “Imran Khan is promoting politics of misbehaviour.”

He said he could pay Mr Khan back in the same coin by saying that the PTI chief is the son of a PWD baildar while Jehangir Tareen (PTI secretary-general) of a retired police havaldar.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2017