In view of the unusual concessions being offered to its former ally, the PPP, which has been reticent to criticize the PML-N, will hold a meeting of its Central Executive Committee (CEC) in LAHORE to determine its next steps.
According to PPP spokesman Faisal Kareem Kundi, who talked with The Express Tribune, “if elections are to be held to bring a specific party [the PML-N] to power, it would be more practical to simply hand them the throne and avoid wasting billions of rupees on a sham process.”
PML-N leader Khawaja Asif has admitted that they have “managed things,” he said. However, he claimed that the public would reject such a selection procedure if it were implemented.
Kundi said, “One ladla [blue-eyed boy] has been replaced with another” in reference to PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan after receiving protective bail from the courts and the province government’s decision to defer his sentence in a corruption case.
PTI leader and ex-prime minister Imran Khan was once derided as the “ladla” of the establishment by the PPP and other political parties. In April 2022, a vote of no confidence led to Imran’s removal from office, and he is now being held in Adiala Jail.
Kundi hoped that Nawaz Sharif would respect his party’s bid for electoral preeminence and not undermine the legitimacy of the poll. He reaffirmed that the PPP would maintain its call for a level electoral playing field.
We will not compromise on this demand as a political party. In light of the aforementioned, he stated, we would convene the CEC to discuss next steps.
He denied that the party had reached an agreement with the Sharifs that required them to play the role of a friendly opposition when asked about the party’s measured response to the concessions provided to the PML-N.
It’s good to have Nawaz Sharif back. Before responding, we shall observe,” he continued.
He said that the judges’ decision to release Nawaz Sharif was proof that “two wrongs don’t make a right.” While it is possible that Nawaz Sharif was wrongfully convicted, the recent string of positive rulings for him is completely unwarranted.
Kundi responded to news of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s comments on dictatorship by explaining that Bhutto Zardari was referring to civilian tyranny in Pakistan: “as there is no one to stop them from doing what they desire.”
PPP leader Chaudhry Manzoor remarked on the court’s decision to release the PML-N supreme leader, saying, “Nothing has changed in the judiciary, and the entire system has collapsed.”
Is Nawaz Sharif the new ladla in his opinion? he was asked. “No, Nawaz has always been a ladla,” he said.
He voiced alarm over the approaching general elections, noting that although the 2013 and 2018 general elections were problematic afterward, the next general elections had already become controversial. If the PTI and the PPP both refuse to recognize the results of the election, then how credible can the results be?
According to reports, Khursheed Shah, head of the PPP, asked Nawaz Sharif not to allow himself to be used. He warned that Nawaz Sharif will be regarded as a’selected’ prime minister if he gained power illegally.
Hasan Murtaza, the PPP provincial leader, questioned the Punjab government’s ability to suspend Nawaz’s sentence. The PML-N supreme leader reportedly received his congratulations on his “ladla plus” status from him.