Lahore's political family has a history of being 'selected', says Bilawal Bhutto

LAHORE: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday rejected speculation that he was ready to be 'selected', adding that a "political family in Lahore" has had that sort of past.

Speaking to media along with Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Siraj ul Haq at the party's headquarters in Mansoorah, the PPP chairman said: "This process of being selected is not in our veins but another family in Lahore has had that history."

When a reporter asked the PPP chairman whether Maryam Nawaz took a dig at him by saying that "another selected was being prepared," Bilawal said:

"I have arrived here at the Jamaat-e-Islami's headquarters today and am speaking to you with Siraj-ul-Haq Sahab. If I wanted to comment on the PML-N's vice-president, I would have asked my [party's] vice-president to comment on it," he said.

The PPP chairman further added that his party was ready for the long march and had already booked rooms in Islamabad for the purpose.

"Whose idea was it to link the long march with resignations, 10 days before it was to take place? And even if someone wanted to link resignations with the long march, then it should have been done when all decisions were being made," he added.

In response to a question, Bilawal said people whose decisions proved wrong should review them. "It was the PPP's position that [the PDM] should contest the Senate polls and by-elections. By doing this, we gave the government setbacks," he said. 

Speaking to the press, JI Chief Siraj-ul-Haq called for a single institution that would hold everyone accountable. "This is the first government which is asking for the chief election commissioner to resign," he said.

Siraj voiced the need for electoral reforms, saying that without them, episodes like the Daska by-polls would happen again. 

The two leaders, during their meeting, agreed on working together on the issues of occupied Kashmir and electoral reforms. 

'Substitute of selected being fostered': Maryam Nawaz

A few days ago, Maryam Nawaz, responding to a tweet, had cryptically written that a "substitute of the selected is being fostered." Maryam uses the term "selected" for PM Imran Khan, but she did not directly reveal who she was referring to when she used the term "substitute of selected."

A day ago, PML-N's Vice-President Maryam Nawaz had also said that "anyone who speaks against Nawaz Sharif will have their tongues ripped out", without revealing who the remarks were pointed at.

Responding to Maryam's remarks, PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira had said that the ruling party speaks against Nawaz Sharif on a daily basis.

"Whose tongues will Maryam rip out?" he asked while speaking during Geo News programme "Naya Pakistan". 

He regretted that in her media briefing with Fazlur Rehman "Maryam had said the JUI-F and PML-N do not need anyone".

"There was no need to make such a statement," Kaira said.