In a recent statement, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari suggested that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) faced electoral repercussions in the 2018 elections as a consequence of their alleged involvement in a conspiracy against PPP in the 2013 polls.
Speaking to the press following his party’s two-day Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari did not explicitly mention the PML-N. Instead, he alluded to their actions and the repercussions faced in subsequent elections.
Bilawal Bhutto stated, “A conspiracy was made to keep out the party representing the underprivileged class of Punjab.” While he did not name the alleged conspirators, he implied that actions were taken to sideline his party in 2013.
The PPP leader continued to criticize his former political ally, suggesting that “everyone” knows about the events of 2013 when former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general Lt Gen (retd) Pasha, former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhary, and a “political party” were involved in what he referred to as “RO elections.”
He elaborated, “In 2013, the PPP was expelled from Punjab in an undemocratic manner. Later, this party [PML-N] itself suffered due to this conspiracy in Punjab.”
Furthermore, Bilawal Bhutto claimed that during the 2018 elections, there was an “alliance among” Lt Gen (retd) Faiz, former CJP Saqib Nisar, and “a political party.” While he did not explicitly name the political party in question, he indirectly referred to the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
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These remarks by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari shed light on the complex political dynamics and allegations surrounding the 2013 and 2018 elections in Pakistan. The chairman’s comments suggest that past actions may have influenced subsequent electoral outcomes, but further details and evidence would be needed to substantiate these claims.
