Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari warned on Thursday that the next elections could be bloody if all political parties failed to reach a consensus on a basic code of conduct for polls in light of the increasing polarisation and divide in the county.
Bilawal, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party, said on the floor of the National Assembly that no one was ready to follow the rules of the game. “What would be left if there will be no trust in democracy and democratic processes,” he asked.
He reiterated that the political parties should formulate a basic code of conduct so that the country could be run and elections may be held peacefully.
Bilawal clarified that the PPP’s policy was clear as it first wanted reforms and then elections.
Among other things, the PPP chairman also revealed that he was threatened a night before the vote of no confidence to agree to fresh elections or there would be a martial law, but they moved ahead with the no-confidence motion. In his speech, Bilawal also lashed out at Imran Khan and others for “abrogating” the Constitution and attacking democracy. The PPP chief demanded an investigation into the recent past’s unconstitutional and undemocratic events.
Bilawal chided the former premier by saying that “Imran Khan thinks he is a sacred cow”. “Imran attacks institutions and the judiciary, but he should be asked how and why he harmed Pakistan on the international level for the sake of his own politics. We have to stop this! The court and the parliament have to play their role,” he said.
Bilawal said that the representatives of various political parties are jointly running this government. “Such situations are created when a country and its people face severe crises. In cases of war or emergency, political parties put aside their differences for the sake of the national interest,” he said, alluding to the coalition government headed by Pakistan Muslim League-N’s Shehbaz Sharif. “We are in a very unique situation, there is a crisis at every front,” Bilawal said. He added that the situation was even worse than what had been assumed. “The situation in Pakistan is at a critical point; there should be no two views about it.” Every institution has been made controversial by a “selected” person, he said while referring to Imran Khan. “The harm that Imran Khan and his former government have caused to the Constitution, democracy and institutions is before everyone,” he added.
The former PM abrogated the Constitution and attacked democracy. The former PM, deputy speaker and the president have been abrogating the Constitution and refusing to follow it since April 3.
