ISLAMABAD: Elections will take place on time, rain or shine, according to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who ruled out the idea of a postponement of the general election scheduled for February 8. Speaking with reporters outside the Supreme Court on Monday, the former foreign minister declared: “Even if [they] get a resolution passed from the United Nations (UN), the election will be held on February 8 [as per schedule].” He advised everyone to get ready for the country’s impending elections. His comments were made in the wake of the Senate’s approval of a nonbinding resolution that sought to postpone the general elections that were scheduled for next month, a move that was sharply criticized by mainstream political groups. In response to a query, Bilawal questioned whether the opinions of a select group of senators mattered more than those of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa. The chief justice had stated in November of last year that “the elections will be held on February 8,” God willing. He said this while the numerous pleas requesting timely elections within ninety days of the assemblies’ dissolution were being heard.
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The caretaker setup to guarantee the conduct of general elections on February 8 was mandated by the supreme court, one day after President Arif Alvi and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja reached a unanimous decision on the date at a meeting at the President’s House. Bilawal hoped that the PPP would win big in the next elections, which would take place in Hyderabad and Karachi. He promised that his party will end poverty, unemployment, and inflation in the nation. In response to another question, he expressed his hope that the PPP would receive justice in the presidential reference concerning the death penalty imposed on former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Bilawal went on to say that this was a chance to make history right and that everyone involved needed to own up to their sins. In addition, he hoped that justice would guide the CJP’s and other judges’ choices. He continued, “We don’t think our system is transparent enough to award the death penalty to anyone.”
