ISLAMABAD: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari kept campaigning for his father till the eve of the presidential election as he hosted the lawmakers of National Assembly and the Senate on Friday.

The PPP chairman also met with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and provincial assembly members earlier in the day.

During the gathering held at Sindh House in Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reiterated the support for PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, who is the coalition’s joint candidate for the presidential elections being held today (Saturday).

The parliamentarians, all of whom would vote in the election, also assured the PPP leader of their support.

Heads of all parties in the ruling alliance were present in the reception, including the PPP leaders, MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) President Aleem Khan, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) President Khalid Magsi and Professor Sajid Mir.

A source in the PPP said Mr Zardari had not invited Pakistan Muslim League-Zia President Ijazul Haq.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Zardari thanked coalition partners for their support and vowed to work together to overcome the prevailing economic and political crisis.

“We know there are gigantic crises ahead, but we can jointly overcome them,” he added.

Hosts parliamentarians, PM over dinner; Fazl refuses to vote for any candidate

Speaking on the occasion, PM Shehbaz assured the PPP leader of the full support of his party’s lawmakers in Centre and Punjab.

On the other hand, Mr Zardari’s opponent, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party’s (PkMAP) Mahmood Khan Achakzai, also hosted a reception at the Islamabad Club.

Bilawal meets Maryam

The PPP chairman met with CM Maryam and Punjab Assembly MPAs at the Governor’s House and sought votes for his father.

The PML-N, PPP, PML-Q and IPP lawmakers were present at the gathering where Mr Bhutto-Zardari and Ms Sharif sat side by side and addressed them.

As the former called for national reconciliation, the latter censured PTI founder Imran Khan and outgoing President Arif Alvi for “being partisan”.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari underscored the need to make his father the president as he is someone who would take the country “towards the path of reconciliation” at the time of divisions.

“The PTI divided the nation, but we will find a solution to bridge this divide,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said, adding this political divide has led to a situation where “we can’t even shake hands with our opponent”.

“We will have to bury the politics of divide and hatred and [political] parties would have to move forward together.”

The Punjab chief minister said Mr Bhutto-Zardari didn’t even ask her party members to vote for his father, but they’d vote for Mr Zardari as he was PML-N’s presidential candidate.

“The presidency needs a person like Mr Zardari and not the incumbent [Alvi],” CM Maryam said, and claimed that the outgoing president protected PTI’s interests and “abrogated the Constitution”.

“He will not be remembered in good words,” she said and even called PTI “cartoon network.”

“Bilawal had rightly called them [PTI leaders] cartoons. The cartoon network running in Pakistan should be shut down now.”

Ms Sharif added that the common agenda of coalition parties — PML-N, PPP, PML-Q, IPP and PML-Zia — is to rid the country of crises.

Ms Sharif added that all PML-N MPAs and allies would vote for Mr Zardari today.

She said the MPAs had been given the briefing on how to vote in the presidential election.

Fazl ‘cold-shoulders’ PPP

Separately, a PPP delegation also called upon JUI-F emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman and sought support for their candidate in the presidential elections.

According to a statement issued by JUI-F, the delegation led by former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani also included other PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Khursheed Shah.

Sources said the JUI-F emir categorically announced that his party would stay away from the election and not vote for any side.

JUI-F leaders Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Khyber Pakhtun­khwa Governor Ghulam Ali, Maulana Abdul Wasey and others were also present in the meeting.

Zulqernain Tahir in Lahore also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2024