PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari took a swipe at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif for struggling to get selected as prime minister for the fourth time rather than being elected in the upcoming general elections.
Addressing a political gathering in the Lower Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bilawal remarked, “Mian sahib, you have come to power three times via ‘selection.’ At least be ‘elected’ for your fourth tenure as prime minister this time.”
The PPP leader’s comments come amid escalating political tensions as parties enter election mode and form new alliances. With the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announcing the poll date, the PPP and PML-N, former allies, have engaged in a verbal showdown, with the PPP accusing the PML-N of receiving special treatment.
Bilawal called on Nawaz to engage in politics that respect the sanctity of the vote and criticized his bid for a fourth term, questioning the difference it would make if someone who has failed three times seeks power again. He warned that if Nawaz came to power through “selection,” neither the public nor he would accept the result, vowing to resist every “selected” ruler.
Bilawal Bhutto Slams Nawaz’s “Revenge Politics”
The PPP chairman also criticized Nawaz’s history of “revenge politics” during his involvement with the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) against the PPP in 1988. Bilawal highlighted Nawaz’s ousters in his third term and his complaints upon returning, questioning why he was ousted.
Taking a dig at both Imran Khan and Nawaz, Bilawal stressed that the country cannot afford a “player” or a fourth-timer amid economic turmoil. He called for “new politics” and warned that Nawaz would revert to his old ways if elected for the fourth time. Bilawal also criticized Imran Khan for relying on the “umpire’s finger” for his politics.
