KARACHI: Federal Minister for Water Resources Syed Khursheed Shah has said that the PPP will have to “take a stand” if general elections were delayed.

The government has announced that assemblies will be dissolved on Aug 9, after which polls should be held in 90 days. However, the appoval of the latest census could delay elections by several months. Although PPP and some ruling allies earlier opposed elections under the fresh census, they did not object to the census approval.

In an interview on DawnNewsTV programme ‘Doosra Rukh’ aired on Saturday night, Mr Shah said he initially believed that polls would take place on time as per the Constitution. However, he said he had concerns after recent statements regarding polls being held under the 2023 census.

He noted that the Constitution clearly stated that the delimitation had to take place, a process which takes four months. “So I don’t see elections happening on Nov 12 or 13,” he said, adding that the PPP would “take a stand” if there was a delay.

Khursheed Shah says no active member of any party shortlisted for caretaker set-up

Asked whether the names being considered for caretaker PM included politicians, Mr Shah said they might have direct or indirect links to some party but “would not be an active member of any party nor be a major leader of any party”.

When it was pointed out that former finance minister Hafeez Shaikh fell in this category, he said the ruling coalition did not want someone who “brought a briefcase and then picked it up and left”. At the same time, he asserted that he had respect for Mr Sheikh.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2023