- Bilawal says his party wants assemblies to complete tenure
Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court verdict that disqualified Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister and said that everyone should be held accountable for which legislation is necessary.
Addressing a press conference here, he said that his party believes in across the board accountability of all sections of the societies and call upon the parliamentary committee on accountability to urgently draft appropriate legislation to ensure across the board accountability.
He said that the verdict in the Panama Papers case was not a judicial coup but this (verdict) would help curbing corruption on a higher level. Now, July 28 was an ‘important’ day for Pakistan and democracy, he said. “PPP wants assemblies to complete its tenure,” he told a questioner.
He said that his party was ready to face any situation. He stated that Pakistan People’s Party was an ideological party. He said that the nation would decide via votes as to who would rule the country. “PPP’s ruler would have faced disqualification the very same day of the filing of the case,” he stated.
“Nawaz Sharif will play his own style of politics while we will play ours,” he stated. “Benazir Bhutto had stated that Nawaz Sharif may succeed in conspiring against me but one day he will cry. He will remember me and my father,” he quoted his late mother as saying.
“The Supreme Court has delivered verdict. It is incumbent upon all to except it whole-heartedly. The verdict has disapproved the contention that the disqualification of a prime minister posed a threat to democracy and the parliament,” he said. “The PPP has always supported democracy, the parliament and the state institution and will continue to do so,” he said.
“It is unfortunate that by not resigning in time voluntarily and not offering himself for accountability according to law made by the parliament that the former prime minister only undermine the parliament,” he said. “The PPP will, in consultation with other parties in the opposition, field candidate for the office of the prime minister, he said.
When a reporter told the PPP chairman that there was an impression Imran Khan would take the credit for the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as PPP was reluctant to press the ruling party in the wake of Panama Papers, Bilawal said his party had raised the issue just a day after papers surfaced on April 4, but didn’t go to the court due to some past experiences.
“We had our own reasons,” he said. Asked whether PPP would have no qualms about the Article 62, 63 of the constitution which became bases for Nawaz’s ouster, Bilawal said the PPP had its reservations about the articles but the court decision had to be accepted.
