Former Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, asserted that it’s evident that his party will assume power in the upcoming government. Speaking at a ceremony at Sukkur’s Jinnah Stadium, Bilawal emphasized the inevitability of elections, stating that if they are not conducted within 90 days, they will certainly take place within 120 days.
Highlighting the PPP government’s efforts to enhance healthcare services, Bilawal praised Sindh’s National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) for providing free medical care to the public. He noted that those unable to afford private hospitals can access cost-free medical treatment at Sindh government hospitals.
Bilawal further emphasized that there is no hospital in Islamabad that matches the standards of NICVD.
In a previous speech at the inauguration of a water filtration plant in Hyderabad, Bilawal indirectly criticized former political allies, particularly the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), for their reluctance to support elections within the constitutionally mandated 90-day timeframe.
It’s worth noting that Bilawal has consistently echoed his party’s Central Executive Committee’s (CEC) stance in favor of holding elections within 90 days. However, this stance has put him at odds with former President and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, who supports fresh delimitations based on the new census, effectively favoring elections beyond the 90-day limit.
The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government led by the PML-N dissolved the National Assembly on August 9, allowing the electoral authority to hold elections within 90 days, instead of the usual 60 days if the legislature completed its constitutional tenure.
If elections are to be conducted within the 90-day limit, they are scheduled for November 9, 2023. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced new delimitations after the Council of Common Interest (CCI) unanimously approved the 7th Population and Housing Census in August, which could extend the election timeline beyond the 90-day mark.