'We welcome our opponents in elections', Zardari on PML-N, MQM-P alliance

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday "welcomed" the electoral alliance between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), saying that his party would face political opponents in the polls — scheduled to be held on February 8 next year.

Addressing party workers in Ghotki’s Khangarh, the veteran politician said: "We will stand against our opponents that are coming in elections and we welcome them."

Zardari stressed that the best results are delivered when political opponents contest elections against each other.

The PPP leader said that his party never says “no to anyone” and always tells everyone to do their politics while they would do theirs. "We have our own philosophy and they have theirs."

Taking a jibe at PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif who returned to the country on October 21 after ending a four-year self-imposed exile in London, Zardari said that he was not leaving the country as he was bound by his workers.

“What will I say to my worker when I look him in the eye,” Zardari further said. He added that his party does its own politics whatever may be the politics of others.

Explaining his party’s philosophy, Zardari said they do it for the politics which was of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

Zardari further said that they removed Imran Khan — through a no-confidence motion in April last year — not to seek power but did it for the betterment of the country.

Coming down hard on the Pakistan Tehree-e-Insaf (PTI) government, the PPP stalwart said: “They do not know how to do or get work done.”

Zardari also fired a broadside at his opponents after the PML-N and the MQM-P announced that they would be jointly contesting the upcoming general elections — scheduled to take place on February 8, 2024.

The development came following a meeting of an MQM-P delegation led by Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Farooq Sattar and Syed Mustafa Kamal with the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in Lahore at the party's Model Town secretariat.

As the general elections approach, the rifts between the PML-N and the PPP have become deeper as the latter is persistently voicing concerns regarding the absence of equal opportunities to prove itself ahead of the polls.

The Bilawal-led party has claimed that the PML-N has denied a level playing field in the upcoming polls.

Recently, the PPP also said that it was open to forging an alliance with any political party including the PTI against the Nawaz-led party.