Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday emphasized that the country must legislate electoral reforms before any new elections, adding demands for snap polls are misguided.
Speaking to media in Larkana after the death anniversary of his mother, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, he advised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to cease political extremism and engage with democratic politics. “You attacked our state institutions just because of a meagre NAB case against your leader … then don’t complain,” he said. “Do away with political extremism and return to the democratic fold. This will be better not only for their party but their workers as well,” he added.
Reiterating that he was against any ban on the PTI, he said political parties must find political solutions to ensure democracy survives, adding extremist politics will always invite strict responses.
To a question, he rejected reports of the government preparing a 28th constitutional amendment, saying such discussions were restricted to media. He said President Asif Ali Zardari could play a key role in uniting all political forces on a single platform for the sake of democracy.
He also appeared to question improving macroeconomic indicators, maintaining a country’s economic condition can only be gauged by the financial conditions of ordinary citizens. “If the federal government wants to tackle the economic crisis, it should consider public-private partnerships,” he said, pointing to Sindh province’s record of such agreements to boost public welfare.