Bilawal Bhutto warns his party won’t accept elections ‘if anyone interfered’

ISLAMABAD: The chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, issued a warning that his party would not recognise the results if any interference was seen in the upcoming general elections of 2024, ARY News reported on Monday.

Speaking at a workers’ convention in Nowshera, the PPP chairman stated that parties with a two-thirds majority claim to have reached a consensus on the future setup.

However, he did not name any specific parties. It is pertinent to note that both the PML-N and PPP were allies in the previous PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) coalition government in which Shehbaz Sharif was the prime minister.

In addition to lamenting the lack of purpose for elections when the results are predetermined, Bilawal Bhutto advised senior politicians not to put in unnecessary effort and to abstain from running for office on the “back of administration, according to ARY News.

He issued a warning, saying that if there was any electoral meddling, his party would not recognise the results.

He reiterated his call for “transparent polls,” saying, “We will only accept the choice of the people, not anyone else’s.

Notably, the general elections are scheduled for February 8, 2024, as announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday.

Details state that, in accordance with Section 57 of the Election Act, the Election Commission of Pakistan announced the general election date.

The notice stated that the general elections would be held on February 8, 2024, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s ruling.