Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) now headed by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is back in the electoral politics after 20 years as the Election Commission of Pakistan has allowed the PPP and the PPP-P to contest the coming by-election in Lahore from a single platform.
Basically having the ticket of PPP, Faisal Mir will be contesting the by-election from NA-120 (Lahore) as the joint candidate of PPP (3 Ps) and PPP-P (4 Ps) with the election symbol – Arrow.
Currently, all parliamentarians of the Bhutto’s party in the National Assembly, provincial assemblies and Senate belong to the Pakistan Peoples’ Party- Parliamentarians (PPP-P ) headed by Asif Ali Zardari.
On the other hand, the PPP, headed by Bilawal Bhutto is not having a single parliamentarian in any legislature but is registered in the Election Commission as a separate political party with the election symbol of cross-swords. The PPP-P is having the election symbol of Arrow.
Two weeks back, both the parties (the PPP and the PPP-P) filed an application in the Election Commission of Pakistan stating that they were contesting election in NA-120 in an alliance and wanted to contest on a common election symbol of Arrow. Election Commission of Pakistan has now permitted Faisal Mir to contest election with election symbol of Arrow.
The new development means that the two parties can contest the coming elections on a common election symbol (Arrow). After the 2018 elections, it will be legally possible for the party to contest any future elections from the platform of PPP instead of the PPP-P.
It merits mention here that formation of PPP-P was necessitated in 2002 when General Musharraf made changes in the election rules to keep Benazir Bhutto out of the election race.
At present, the two parties have different officebearers as both are registered in the Election Commission of Pakistan as separate political entities.
It is also important to note here that the matter of ownership of the PPP is sub-judice as a petition filed by Naheed Khan, former political secretary to Benazir Bhutto, claiming to be the rightful heir to this title is still pending in the court for decision. And since the PPP-P has its representation in the Parliament as well as in the provincial assemblies, disbanding this party at this stage may have its legal implications.
Staff Reporter from Islamabad adds: Pakistan People’s Party yesterday decided that it will not drag the PML-N government out of the crisis.
A party meeting held here, however, concluded that repealing of the articles 62 and 63 of the constitution could be discussed in the parliament, sources said.
The meeting was jointly chaired by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
Aitzaz Ahsan, Sherry Rehman, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Khurshid Shah, Nayyar Bokhari, Farhatullah Babar, Naveed Qamar, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Dr Asim Hussain and others attended the meeting.
On the occasion, Bilawal and Zardari consulted the PPP members on the political situation and the government's plan to make constitutional amendments.
The PPP leadership saw the developments as government's trick to bring back Nawaz Sharif who was ousted as the prime minister last month.
The PPP meeting also discussed US President Donald Trump's hostile statement against Pakistan.
The PPP meeting reiterated its decision of ‘no negotiations’ with government A PPP statement later said the meeting asked the provincial chapters of the party to step up mass-contact campaign.
The meeting also reposed full confidence in the leadership of Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
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