PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday said his party believed that Pakistan’s pressing issues and myriad crises necessitated engagement with all political parties to secure a sustainable solution.

The former foreign minister made these comments during a gathering in Muzaffargarh, where he made a veiled criticism of the PML-N.

With elections potentially just a few months away, Bilawal has been engaging in public meetings and organising party gatherings as part of the PPP’s election preparations.

He advocated for the establishment of an “equilibrium” that permitted political parties to operate within defined boundaries while also aiding in guiding the country out of the ongoing crisis.

“Regrettably, in Punjab, our political landscape has become polarised to such an extent that we’re transforming into enemies rather than mere political rivals,” Bilawal said.

Elaborating on the remarks he made yesterday, regarding a level-playing field, he further commented: “It’s peculiar that a specific party is announcing an election date and asserting that elections will be conducted in February.

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“Neither am I aware of the election date nor is the chief election commissioner, yet that party seems to possess advance knowledge of the election schedule,” he added, while asking: “What else can I complain about except [demand] a level-playing field?”

PML-N officials have recently been claiming that the upcoming general elections were likely to take place in February next year.

In a recent development, last week, former interior minister Rana Sanaullah posted on social media platform X that there was no need to panic. “General elections will be held in February,” he said, adding that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif would lead the party’s electoral campaign.

Today, Bilawal emphasised that the PDM and PPP had previously collaborated as allies during the coalition government, but now both entities were accountable for their independent political decisions.

In response to a question, Bilawal mentioned that the party’s Central Executive Committee would convene tomorrow to formulate an electoral strategy.

He emphasised that delimitation, as per the Constitution, could be completed in 90 days, and any deviation from this timeline would require a decision from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Bilawal demanded a specific election timeline, saying “whether it’s 90 days, 100 days, 120 days, or even 10 years”, urging for a clear date to be provided. “Just give us a date,” he said.

He pointed out that the Constitution unequivocally mandates elections within 90 days of assembly dissolution, seeking clarification if this were not the case.

Regarding the May 9 riots, he stated that those responsible for attacking national institutions would eventually be exposed, characterising the incident as part of a “big conspiracy”, adding that “the truth is destined to surface one day”.