KARACHI: Senior Pakistan Peoples Party leader Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah on Sunday disclosed that the PPP had first approached the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to form government in the Center for the sake of democracy, but the PTI people refused to cooperate.

Speaking to journalists on the premises of the Sindh Assembly, where he witnessed the election of his nephew Owais Qadir Shah as provincial assembly speaker from the visitors’ gallery, Mr Shah said that the PPP had contacted the PTI itself to form the government at the Centre, but the PTI refused to contact the PPP.

He said that the people had given the PPP mandate due to its performance. “But we have to further improve our performance,” he added.

Mr Shah added that the process of Sindh Assembly had started, which was a good sign.

Shrugs off GDA’s poll rigging allegations

“Hopefully, God willing, this assembly will last for five years,” he hoped and added that the PPP always tried to solve the people’s problems.

Replying to a question regarding allegations of rigging levelled by the Grand Democratic Alliance, he said that the GDA had “never won more than one National Assembly seat”.

“We have won 54 seats in the election. Can someone tell me if there is any rigging somewhere?” he asked.

The senior PPP leader said that his party had the key to democracy which the party used for democracy.

“We are sitting with the Pakistan Muslim League-N without any greed,” he said adding that the PPP would also vote for the prime minister and cooperate in legislation and other matters.

He said that the PPP would take committees of ministries that the PML-N would have. “The committees are more powerful than ministries,” he added.

Responding to a question, he said writing a letter to the IMF by the founder of the PTI was tantamount to inviting interference in internal affairs.

To another question, the PPP leader said that it was not yet decided to nominate outgoing caretaker Prime Minister Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar for the slot of Senate chairman.

He added that that name of Yusuf Raza Gilani was still final for the chairmanship.

In response to a question, he said that it was against the spirit of democracy that the tenure of the prime minister was divided between political parties.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2024