KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples’ Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Election Commission of Pakistan should announce date for next general elections, saying his party was ready whenever they are held.

Talking to media, Bilawal said, “We are ready for elections if held within 60 days and still ready if held in 90 days”. As per Constitution, general elections must be held till November 2023 as National Assembly had been dissolved prematurely on August 9, 2023.  Bilalwa Bhutto, whose party was also part of PDM-led government, demanded that elections should be held within 90 days.

He hoped that ECP would ensure transparent and fair election in country. While appreciating past four-year performance of electoral watchdog, he said it was on record that ECP had blocked rigging in Daska elections.

Bilawal said his party was not afraid of National Accountability Bureau, adding that PPP had focused on performance instead of cases while in power. He recalled that his father Asif Ali Zardari spent 11 years in jail without being convicted in any case.

“Those who are facing jails these days, we encourage them as it is training to make them politician,” he apparently referred to PTI Chief’s detention. He criticised ECP for blocking development funds for Sindh. He said electoral watchdog had made an illegal announcement as it has stopped development work in flood affected areas.

Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto described fact that more than three million children are out of school in country as challenging situation for nation. According to press release issued by Media Cell Bilawal House, on World Literacy Day he said that literacy rate is main criterion for sustainable development. He said that inflation, unemployment and poverty as well as natural disasters resulting in from climate change have severely affected education sector in recent times.

50 percent of school buildings in Sindh alone were severely affected by floods. Bilawal Bhutto said that education has always been one of top priorities of PPP.

Educational reforms were introduced during time of Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He said that it is inevitable to bring literacy rate to 100 percent for strong democracy and sustainable development.

Published in The Daily National Courier, September, 09 2023

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