ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of becoming part of any coalition government, saying that his party will vote for prime minister candidate of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) but sit in opposition.

“The PPP has decided that we are unable or not in a position to join federal government ourselves, nor are we interested in taking ministries in such a setup,” the party chairman said while addressing a press conference following a two-day long Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting.

Bilawal Bhutto acknowledged that the reality was that his party does not have a mandate to form a government in the Centre. “Due to this, I will not be putting myself forward for the candidacy of the prime minister of Pakistan,” he said, noting that PML-N and the independents have greater numbers.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had refused to form a coalition with the PPP which left the PML-N as the only party that had invited the PPP to join the government.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that senior PPP leadership advised party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari against forming a coalition government with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and sitting in opposition.