LARKANA: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Sunday it was the writing on the wall that elections were not going to be held anytime soon, stressing that comprehensive electoral reforms were essential before fresh polls.
“We must introduce reforms that inspire confidence and are trusted by all stakeholders,” he said while addressing a ceremony after inaugurating the National Institute of Child Health (NICHD) and a Neonatal Centre in Larkana on Sunday.
The PPP chairman urged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to renounce political extremism and rejoin democratic politics, warning that attacks on state institutions over the arrest of leaders would invite consequences. “You attacked state institutions simply over a minor NAB case against your leader [PTI founder Imran Khan], then do not complain,” Bilawal told the media.
“Abandon political extremism and return to the democratic fold. This will be better not only for your party but also for your workers,” he added.
The PPP chairman called for playing an “innings of political reconciliation” in the country, cautioning that those who attack state institutions under the guise of politics would have to face the law of the land.
Bilawal said long-term political stability could only be achieved through dialogue and reconciliation rather than confrontation.
Calling for political solutions to political problems, Bilawal said all parties must work together to create space for democratic politics in the national interest, describing it as a matter of national security. He stressed that long-term stability did not lie in the prolonged rule of a single party but in genuine and sustainable political stability.
Bilawal said the PPP’s policy of reconciliation was rooted in the philosophy of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and that President Asif Ali Zardari had practically demonstrated this approach through landmark achievements such as the 18th Constitutional Amendment, NFC Award and the completion of a full democratic term.
He thanked Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) leader Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for sending their delegation to Garhi Khuda Bakhsh on the death anniversary of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, terming the gesture non-political and reflective of reconciliatory politics.
Bilawal said that after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the Sindh government had worked extensively to establish and improve NICHD facilities in Karachi and expand their outreach. He added that similar healthcare facilities had also been extended to Sukkur, Nawabshah and Jamshoro, calling it an example of governance unmatched by either the federal or other provincial governments.
Referring to the economy, Bilawal said international reports indicated improvement but questioned the real test of economic recovery. “If the test is merely saving the country from default, that is not enough,” he remarked, stressing that real improvement should be judged by the living conditions of common people, who struggle to afford food, housing, education and healthcare.
He said the PPP was easing these difficulties by providing free services and had developed a comprehensive manifesto covering various policy agendas. On privatisation, he said the PPP had always favoured public-private partnerships, citing projects such as the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company and Karachi-Thatta Dual Carriageway as successful examples. He noted that Sindh’s public-private partnership model had been ranked sixth globally.
Bilawal said the economic crisis required innovative solutions and that public-private partnerships could play a crucial role in expanding fiscal space at the federal level. “The federal government should learn from Sindh’s experience,” he added.
Highlighting regional and internal security challenges, including tensions on both eastern and western borders and rising terrorism, he said the role of opposition parties was crucial in the prevailing situation.
On electoral reforms, Bilawal stressed the need for constitutional amendments and legal changes to ensure transparent elections and restore public trust in the Election Commission. He said elections based on “RO systems, selected candidates or form-based manipulation” served no purpose. He urged serious political leadership, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PPP and other parties, to work together on comprehensive electoral reforms.
He also referred to objections raised during elections in Punjab, including concerns involving candidates, media and the administration, and called for corrective measures to ensure political stability. He said reconciliation would remain impossible unless political parties confined their activities to the political arena, urging the government to activate parliament and the opposition to play its due role.
Bilawal clarified that neither the 26th nor the proposed 27th Constitutional Amendments included any proposal — official or unofficial — regarding the division of provinces, reiterating that the PPP’s stance on the issue was clear and consistent with its manifesto and ideology.
He also said that given the prevailing circumstances, President Asif Ali Zardari would have to play a role in bringing all political parties to a single point. Bilawal dismissed reports about a 28th Constitutional Amendment saying such discussions were limited to the media.
While there were talks of imposing a ban on the Khan-founded party recently, Bilawal maintained that he was against such ideas.
