PPP leader Khurshid Shah has ruled out any possibility of forming any coalition government with the PML-N if the voters did not put their trust in the Bhutto-led party in the general elections.
“If people did not believe in PPP, did not give votes, and we are not able to grab our required seats then we would like to sit in the opposition,” he said in an interview with Asma Shirazi on her show Faisla Aap Ka that was aired on Aaj News on Monday.
“We will play our positive role,” he added.
In the recent past, the PPP has called for a level playing field for political parties. Last week, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claimed that democracy and elections had been put on hold for one man’s return to the country. Two days, later Nawaz Sharif returned to Pakistan after ending four years of self imposed exile.
In an apparent reference to the PML-N and the JUI-F, PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi said on Sunday that polls cannot be delayed on the wishes of two political parties.
When asked about whether the party would make an alliance with the PML-N, Shah reiterated that the PPP would like to sit in the opposition benches. “It suits us and it also suits the Nawaz league that the PPP is the opposition party that it teaches them something and leads the government.”
He went on to claim the Bhutto-led party had made them work as they had worked under “such circumstances” that PPP because of the democracy.
Earlier, it was a perception that a coalition government would be formed as no party would be able to attain a single majority in general elections.
But Khurshid clearly rejected such a possibility. “If people did not believe in PPP and believed in PML-N or like PTI, the PML-N was given 12 seats from Karachi, two from Sindh, five from Lahore, two from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and six from Balochistan or through bogus votes.”
Khurshid was of the view that allies should have been taken into confidence on Nawaz’s homecoming. He claimed that the PML-N did not invite other political parties to the Minar-e-Pakistan rally because they were afraid of the queries asked on the arrival of the former prime minister.
The PPP leader claimed that the establishment had welcomed Nawaz and claimed that people within the party were most affected by the development. “The people did not see them with well,” he said.
“I say with great confidence that people understand that there is zero per cent difference between Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif,” Khurshid said while making a reference to the previous government which they described as “selected”.
He went on to add that Nawaz was repeating the same old mistakes. “I personally did not expect such thing from Nawaz Sharif. Another hybrid regime is being prepared.”
According to Khurshid, the blame for delayed elections would be put on those who will benefit from it. He added that martial law was the only way to derail elections.