Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has reiterated his demand for holding general elections at the earliest, despite the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the possibility of conducting elections within the 90-day period defined by the Constitution. Bilawal emphasized that delaying the elections effectively amounts to denying them.
Speaking at an event organized by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) to celebrate the golden jubilee of the Constitution of Pakistan, Bilawal called for the election schedule and the provision of a “level playing field” for all political parties.
He also mentioned the lawyers’ movement of 2009, which aimed to restore the judiciary, and highlighted its significant impact on the relationship between the judiciary and parliament. While not naming anyone directly, Bilawal quoted a prominent lawyer who had been part of the movement, and who mentioned that the 2009 restoration of the judiciary led to judges with arrogance and a bar with a tendency towards violence.
Bilawal went on to say that in the 2013 and 2018 general elections, the judiciary, under Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, displayed partisan tendencies and clear favorites. He expressed hope that this time the situation would be different.
He noted that his party has been demanding an election date and schedule since the parliament’s term ended, and he emphasized the indisputable right of political parties to have elections.
Earlier in the day, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa expressed that it was not possible to meet the 90-day deadline for holding elections and criticized the lack of preparation by the petitioners in the case. The Supreme Court is leading the case to address petitions seeking timely elections within the constitutional 90-day period. These pleas were filed by the Supreme Court Bar Association, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and others to ensure elections are held within the stipulated time frame.
