PPP against boycott, to contest by-polls with full force: Kaira

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that the PPP is against boycotting elections.

Speaking in Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ on Tuesday, he said if the field was left open for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in by-elections, the government would get a walkover. He said the PPP would contest the by-polls with full force. He said if the PPP was to go for the Senate elections, it would have to maintain its majority in the Sindh Assembly.

Kaira said the PPP was against Imran Khan’s sit-in in the Capital at that time, and it would have to think again why it should support such a sit-in today. Speaking in the programme, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal said his party had held discussions about taking part in the by-polls and Senate elections. However, he added, the party would issue a policy statement after consultation with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership.

He said the PML-N had not asked the party senators to submit their resignations yet. He said discussions were also under way with the PDM leaders about taking part in the by-elections. He said a consensus statement would be issued in a day or two.