Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari announced on Tuesday that he will not be a candidate for prime minister as his party has not received the mandate to form government in center.

Addressing a press conference in Zardari House in Islamabad, Bilawal made the biggest political announcement of the day, saying PPP will vote for a PMLN-led government in centre but will not join the federal cabinet.

The PPP chairman emphasized that his announcement had ended the chance for a PTI-led government.

“Pakistan Peoples Party does not have the mandate to form government so I will not be putting myself forward for the candidacy of prime minister of Pakistan,” Bilawal said.

He added that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has already decided not to talk to the PPP, which leaves Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz as the only large group that had reached out to his party.

“Pakistan Peoples Party has decided that while we are not in a position to join the federal government ourselves, nor would we be interested in taking ministries in such a set up, we also do not want to see political chaos in the country,” he said.

However, he also said that if no party manages to form the government, it could leave re-election as the only option which could only lead to more instability.

Bilawal said the PPP would support the prime minister on an issue-to-issue basis and on important votes.

He added that the PPP would make a committee to engage with other political parties over the issue.

Bilawal’s press conference comes after a two-day long meeting of the PPP’s Central Executive Committee in Islamabad, following multiple engagements with the PMLN.

The results of the general elections showed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed independents emerging as the biggest group followed by PMLN with 75 seats and PPP with 54 seats in the National Assembly.

Shortly before Bilawal announced support for PMLN, PTI Spokesperson Rauf Hassan announced a key move from the party. He said PTI-backed candidates were to join MWM in the centre, allowing it to secure over a dozen reserved seats in the National Assembly.