PPP co-chair Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday hinted that his party would not be taking any ministries in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet. “I don’t think we are taking any ministries,” he told journalists outside the National Assembly after PPP’s Raja Pervaiz Ashraf was elected NA speaker unopposed.
“We want to give a chance to our friends,” Zardari added, referring to the government’s coalition partners which comprises eight political parties.
The former president’s statement comes after the PPP issued a notification on Saturday, inviting applications for party tickets in the national and provincial assemblies for the forthcoming general elections in the country.
A statement issued by Farhatullah Babar, secretary general of the party, said that each application should be accompanied with a bank draft of Rs40,000 for an NA party ticket and Rs30,000 for a provincial assembly ticket.
“Applications must reach the party secretariat in Islamabad or Bilawal House in Karachi by April 30,” it added. “We know the fragile nature of our alliance and we want to see the present government succeeding.
We don’t want to give an impression that we have come to power only to get some portfolios or to enjoy perks and privileges,” a PPP leader had said earlier, adding: “We want business.”
Another senior PPP leader, on the other hand, had told media they were more interested in getting constitutional offices instead of cabinet portfolios. He said two constitutional offices had already fallen vacant after the resignations of the National Assembly.
