PPP chief\u2019s remarks come in response to Senate\u2019s resolution seeking delay in elections over security concerns
\nIslamabad
\nAmid apprehensions of further delay in general elections in the country, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Saturday that the polls will be held on February 8 as per schedule even if \u201cthey\u201d get resolutions passed from the United Nations (UN) or the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
\nThe remark came during his press conference in Lahore, wherein he was questioned about the approval of a resolution by the Senate to delay the polls.
\nBilawal said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued a schedule for the polls on February 8 so the polls will be staged on the same date.
\n\u201cNo matter if [they] get a resolution passed from the Senate, the UN or the OIC, elections will be staged on February 8,\u201d the former foreign minister told reporters.
\nAn independent lawmaker in the Senate moved a resolution seeking deferral of polls in the light of extreme weather and security situation in the country, which was adopted by a majority of 14 senators present in the legislature on Friday.
\nHowever, a fresh resolution was tabled in the upper house for the elections\u2019 conduct on February 8 as per schedule.
\nJamaat-e-Islami\u2019s (JI) Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, in the resolution submitted to the Senate Secretariat today, pointed out that holding elections is a constitutional requirement.
\nMeanwhile, the Supreme Court was also moved to initiate contempt proceedings against senators involved in passing a resolution in the Senate for polls delay.
\nPakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb also stressed that polls in the country will be held as per schedule.
\nTalking to the media after appearing before an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore earlier in the day, the former information minister said that PML-N was the only party that opposed the resolution.
\n\u201cElections will be on February 8 [even if] other parties cry or shout,\u201d said Marriyum.
\nRuling out the possibility of the polls being put off, Bilawal recalled Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa\u2019s remark of the election date being \u201cset in stone\u201d.
\nThe PPP leader said that he thinks everyone has trust in this remark of the top judge and stands by him on this matter.
\nHe expressed confidence that the general elections will be staged on time and the Pakistanis will have the chance to exercise their right to vote and form a government of their choice.
\n\u201cPPP will accept the decision of Pakistani people,\u201d Bilawal said while expressing his desire that his party should be given a chance to address the issues of the country.
\nResponding to a question about the provision of a level playing field, the politician said that PPP has faced difficulties whenever it contested elections.
\nHe said that other parties are contending that their candidates have been disqualified, but a greater number of candidates were disqualified in the 2013 elections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PPP chief\u2019s remarks come in response to Senate\u2019s resolution seeking delay in elections over security concerns Islamabad Amid apprehensions of further delay in general elections in the country, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Saturday that the polls will be held on February 8 as per schedule even if \u201cthey\u201d get resolutions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":346782,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2671],"class_list":{"0":"post-379126","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-bilawal"},"yoast_head":"\n