ISLAMABAD: Whilst the country’s political situation is murky and the sword of contempt of court and disqualification hanging over Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for not abiding by the Supreme Court’s order to provide funds for elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari has once again become active to get his son and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari elected as the next prime minister in case Shehbaz Sharif is ousted from office through the court order.
According to sources, Zardari is harbouring this dream for a long time. Recent developments, especially the tug-of-war between the executive and the judiciary, have provided him with yet another opportunity to turn this dream into reality.
The sources said that Zardari is well aware of the fact that, given the current political situation, there is no chance for the PPP to win the general election except the ones in Sindh province. Currently, the PPP has no presence in Punjab, while the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will be locking horns in the province when the elections occur. A party grabbing this province forms government in the centre. In this backdrop, the sources said that Zardari wants his son to become the prime minister before the general election, even for a few weeks.
The sources said that though Zardari is known for his political maneuvering, this journey aimed at installing his son at the top seat is not without roadblocks.
It merits mentioning here that the PPP has constituted a committee entrusted with the responsibility of negotiating with the allied parties. The committee has held meetings with Shahzain Bughti and Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The sources said that these meetings are aimed at securing support for the candidature of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari if Shehbaz becomes a victim of contempt of court.
The sources said that whilst Zardari will manage to secure support from the parties sitting in the government, getting the nod from the power that be would be an uphill task. They said that the establishment appears to be reluctant or opposed to Zardari’s plan as it still sees Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as incapable, inexperienced and too young to assume this most important post.
Meanwhile, Zardari is actively campaigning for Bilawal to be accepted as the next prime minister by the political parties in PDM.
