Zardari has right to block path of Lahore’s 'prime minister': Sanaullah

• People will decide the next prime minister, says Rana Sanaullah.  
• He says no legal obstacle for Nawaz to contest upcoming election.  
• Shehbaz Sharif will remain party’s president, ex-minister claims. 

With the upcoming general elections inching closer, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Rana Sanaullah said Thursday that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari has the right to block the path of “Lahore’s prime minister” and pave the way for a premier from Larkana.

Talking to journalists in Lahore, Sanaullah said that the people would decide the next prime minister and hoped that their decision would be acceptable to all of them.

His remarks came as the scathing verbal showdown between the PPP and PML-N — two former allies in the previous Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) led coalition government — intensified since the Election Commission of Pakistan had announced to hold elections in the country on February 8, 2024.

The romance between the two former allies ended after the PDM-led coalition government completed its term in August and both the PPP and PML-N locked horns over election-related issues.

In September, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari laid the blame for being denied a level-playing field on the PML-N. Without naming it, he took a subtle jibe at the PML-N, by saying that it is "really a weird” thing that a certain party knew the election date.

On November 6, Zardari hoped his son Bilawal would be victorious with the rise of February 8's sun next year when general elections will take place in the country.

Bilawal expressed hope that the country's next prime minister will not be from "Lahore" — the stronghold of PML-N.

Taking a jibe at PML-N supremo Nawaz who returned to the country on October 21 after ending a four-year self-imposed exile in London, Zardari on Tuesday said that he was not leaving the country as he was bound by his workers.

“What will I say to my worker when I look him in the eye,” Zardari further said. He added that his party does its own politics whatever may be the politics of others.

On the other hand, in order to give the PPP a tough time in Sindh, the PML-N and MQM-P decided to contest the upcoming general elections together.

'Ready for talks with minus May 9 PTI leadership'

Talking to the media, the PML-N leader said that there was no legal hurdle for Nawaz to contest the upcoming general or by-elections.

Responding to a question, the former security czar said that the PML-N supremo will hold meetings with the leadership of different political parties, including PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain soon. He maintained that Shehbaz Sharif will remain the party’s president.

“We are ready to hold talks with minus May 9 PTI leadership for [the country’s] economic recovery,” he added. 

In a rare move, the PTI has also announced the formation of a "political engagement committee" for reaching out to rival parties ahead of the upcoming polls.

The five-member committee includes Senator Ali Zafar, Senator Dr Humayun Mohmand, Ali Muhammad Khan, Ali Asghar Khan and Raoof Hasan, read the party notification shared on its official X account, formerly known as Twitter.