Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairperson and former president Asif Ali Zardari has said that the coalition government would only hold elections after the introduction of electoral reforms and amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws.
Speaking during a press conference held in Karachi, the former president said electoral and NAB reforms were a part of the game plan for the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government. He added that if polling took place before the reforms, then any government that came into power would face the same issues.
“We have to change laws and improve them and then go to elections. Whether it takes 3 or 4 months, we have to work on implementation of policies and improving the electoral process,” Zardari said.
He said that he had consulted PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and had “made him understand that as soon as our reforms and low-hanging fruit targets are complete, polling can take place”.
“We do not want any selected person to come into power again”, Zardari said, reiterating that he has persuaded PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif over the electoral reforms ahead of the elections.
When asked to comment on Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s interview with BBC Urdu, where he said that it was very possible that elections could be held before the appointment of the new army chief in November, Zardari commented that the PML-N leader was entitled to his own opinion and was bound to his party’s directives.
He said the PML-N had decided with him that until electoral reforms were implemented, there could be no talks of elections or appointing the new army chief. Zardari said that the government would introduce amendments and take control of the economic crisis, and then, when the time was right they would hold elections.
He also said that the government had no problem with overseas Pakistanis being allowed to vote and be representatives, saying that a number of seats could be set aside for them.
The former president also noted that for the first time the army was being ‘apolitical’, and expressed hope that it would continue being so. He also criticized PTI for attacking the military and the judiciary.
“Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf kept me in jail for five years but we did not attack his house and I have said internationally, I want to see Musharraf alive.”
