As the general elections approach, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) senior leader Khursheed Shah on Friday said that his party was contesting alone in the polls, not with any other party.
His comments came after Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) announced to jointly contest the elections — set to take place on February 8, 2024.
“Political parties have the right to contest elections separately or in alliance with other parties,” said Shah while speaking to media persons in Lahore.
The PPP leader, without naming PML-N, said that the Prime Minister’s House continues to be in the hands of the same party which ruled before.
“The government will not work if someone is forcefully imposed on us to rule. If the (prime minister) is selected, then the country will only suffer,” he added.
“The people of Punjab had shown their trust in PPP in the past,” said Shah, adding if there are any punctures in the elections, then there will be a lot of damage.
“There is no interference during the voting process around the world,” he said while calling for the restoration of democracy through voting in Pakistan.
Reiterating his party’s stance on level-playing field, the PPP leader wondered how can the parties have equal opportunities during the upcoming general elections when there are PML-N leaders in the incumbent caretaker government.
“Every party wants that prime minister is elected from their party,” he added.
Speaking about the Israel-Gaza conflict which saw the deaths of over 10,000 Palestinians at the hands of Israeli troops, the PPP leader said that the caretaker government should raise its voice on the issue.
“The helplessness of Muslims on the matter of Israel is clearly seen,” he added.
