ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and former president Asif Ali Zardari has rubbished the idea of holding general elections beyond October, asserting that the only dispute was timing of the polls.

When the ex-president, in an interview with Geo News anchor Hamid Mir on Friday, was asked about concerns that the ruling coalition would delay elections beyond October, he said it was not possible and the idea was a “foolish thought”.

He said elections should be held as early as possible, but on the same day and with a level playing field for all parties.

For this purpose, he suggested all political parties sit together and develop a consensus on a single date for the elections. “Because you are unaware of the nefarious designs of our enemies,” he remarked.

“Coalition parties will decide, through collective wisdom, the time and date of next elections,” the PPP leader said when asked if the country would not see general elections this year. “But first we have to take care of our economy, our assemblies and friendly countries,” he added.

He asserted that elections could not be held before the economy was stabilised and strained relations with friendly states were fully revived.

To lend strength to his argument of holding provincial and general elections on the same day, the PPP leader cited multiple factors such as “insurgencies” in provinces and pending funds from friendly counties.

When asked about his proposal to hold talks with the PTI and what else he had to offer to the opposition party other than the elections, the ex-president reiterated: “I am not refusing elections, my only dispute is regarding the dates”.

When his opinion was sought about the possibility of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s victory in the next elections, Mr Zardari said: “He (Imran) cannot get a two-third majority. It is very difficult task in today’s Pakistan.”

At the same time, he said PTI’s social media was very ‘strong’ that he said sometimes presented false propaganda in a way that people started believing in it.

Asked if Mr Khan was upset that the PDM was gaining strength, Mr Zardari said he was not sure about him but his party leaders were quite disturbed.

Responding to another query, he said before the ruling coalition came into power, he had convinced Shehbaz Sharif to become the prime minister.

“At that time Shehbaz said how come it could happen… I told him that I have 70 votes of allies who will support him (Shehbaz),” he added.

He rejected the impression that he had committed horse-trading to win support of several parties for the present regime. “Is it easy to buy support of the Mengals, Bugtis and Magsis through any temptation? No, they only joined us for the sake of betterment of the country,” the PPP leader added.

One of the reasons they joined the ruling alliance was that Mr Khan had not fulfilled the promises he had made with the nationalist leaders, the former president said. In 2019, he explained, he had started negotiations with the allies, because he enjoyed friendly relations with the Mengals, Bugtis, Magsis, Bhutanis and leaders of Awami National Party.

He expressed the confidence that the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance would continue.

The PPP leader also believed that the recently developed relations between his party and the Mutahidda Qaumi Movement (MQM) would strengthen since both parties had stakes in Karachi as well as other parts of Sindh province.

Responding to the question that once he had convinced a former chief minister of Punjab to join the PDM, he said Parvez Elahi had brought sweets and promised to join the PDM but he backed out due to ‘some miscalculations’. “I still wish he will return to us,” he added.

He was of the opinion that Mr Khan had created the ‘conspiracy drama’, because a case had been filed against him in the US.

Asked if the establishment was neutral these days, Mr Zardari said it should be neutral and all state institutions should work within their own domains.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2023