PPP guns for early general elections

Islamabad: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) expects early elections after a split verdict of the Supreme Court in the Panama leaks scandal involving Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s family.

Close aides of the PPP leadership — Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto — said that the party will exert pressure on the rulers inside and outside the parliament to force PM Sharif to quit and eventually call early polls.

The PPP aspires to see the assemblies dissolved before March 2018 when the Senate elections are due.

If general elections are held on time — after mid-2018 — the ruling Pakistan Muslim League  will gain majority in the Upper House of the parliament.

Mr Zardari’s spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said the PPP was determined to see the back of the Prime Minister as he had lost the moral authority to rule after the split decision of the Supreme Court in the Panama leaks case.

“Even if he quits, he will be hoping his party stays in power. He will want to get majority in the Senate (in March) before the general elections,” the lawmaker said.

But, Mr Babar said, the kind of pressure the government was in, early elections could not be ruled out. “We can smell it. There could be early elections,” he added.

He said the opposition could unite on a one-point agenda against the government. “This could be the second step (after PM’s resignation). All parties are in contact,” he maintained.

PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari meanwhile launched a mass contact campaign. Addressing a rally in Jhang, he claimed PM Sharif will be thrown out of power like former military ruler Pervez Musharraf – who quit under impeachment pressure in 2008.

“The rulers will have to go. The Sindh government (led by the PPP) has passed a resolution (go Nawaz go) and we will make sure it happens,” he said, as he welcomed back Faisal Saleh Hayat into the party.

Mr Hayat had left the party in 2002 to form a splinter group of the PPP. He joined Musharraf’s camp and became a federal minister in the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) led government. Several other rebels were also rewarded by Musharraf.

Mr Zardari threatened to hold rallies across the country against the government.  “This is my first rally against you and this is just the start. I will hold rallies all over the country,” he warned. Bilawal also demanded of the Prime Minister to quit.  “You should resign if you have any morality,” he contended.
 
PPP leader from Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Noor Alam Khan said that all was set for the April 24 Mardan rally. “We have launched the mass contact campaign. PM should know he has to resign or things will get worse,” he asserted.

Mr Khan said the Panama leaks scandal had proved the rulers were corrupt and had no right to remain in power. “The PPP is ready for early elections. We are also working to form alliances with the like-minded parties. We have entered the election mode,” he said.

He said the Mardan rally will be attended by a large number of people as the party enjoyed popularity in the district.

PPP’s opposition leader in the National Assembly Khurshid Shah said the PPP did not support Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf’s campaign to oust the PM when they staged a massive sit-in in Islamabad but “now we demand Nawaz Sharif to quit.”

“We have never been negative. But now Nawaz Sharif must resign for the sake of the democracy and the parliament. We reject the Joint Investigation Team as it will not be able to do justice with the job. How can government employees interrogate a PM,” he said.

Mr Shah said the JIT should comprise of the Supreme Court judges or the Chief Justices of all high courts.

Earlier, the opposition parties gave a hint of future anti-government alliance as they spoke to the media together and put forth the same demand – resignation of the PM.