PPP should sit in opposition if Bilawal not made PM, suggests top leader

• PPP leader says incoming govt would lack a majority.
• Says PDM 2.0 will not be able to work properly.
• PPP to support PML-N in Punjab if party backed in Balochistan.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Faisal Karim Kundi believes that if party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is not elected as prime minister then his party should sit on the opposition benches.

Talking to Geo News on Monday, the PPP’s central secretary information clarified that this was his opinion that the PPP should sit on the opposition benches if Bilawal is not elected PM. 

He added that there’s also a possibility that they would vote for the PML-N’s candidate for PM and sit in the opposition benches.

On the PPP and PML-N meeting a day earlier, Kundi said that the points discussed in the meeting would be placed before the party’s Central Executive Committee when it meets today.

“In my opinion, if PDM part two comes [to power] then it will not be able to work properly,” said the PPP leader. He also added that the incoming government will face a lot of difficulties as it will not have a majority.

The PPP currently has 54 seats in the National Assembly and its numbers are positioned to play a key role as whoever it supports will be able to get the PM House.

The party has also obtained a majority in the Sindh and Balochistan Assemblies. In Sindh, it can form a government without the support of any other party while in Balochistan it would need a partner to form the government.

To a question about who would be nominated for the slot of Sindh chief minister, Kundi said that PPP’s CEC will decide in this regard today. 

Kundi also shared that if the PPP supports PML-N in forming the government in Punjab then it would seek the party’s support to form the government in Balochistan.

In Balochistan, the PPP has emerged as the largest party with 11 seats while JUI-F and PML-N are in second position with 10 seats each. 

However, in Punjab following the February 8 general elections, PML-N emerged as the largest party in the Punjab Assembly with 138 seats followed by PTI-backed independents who got 116 seats while the candidates that ran as independents, without any party’s backing, stood at 22, PPP at 10, PML-Q at 7, IPP, TLP and PML-Z have one seat each.