The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Sunday decided to go ahead with the January 8 polls by participating in it, and urged the Pakistan Muslim League (N) led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to reconsider its decision of boycotting the general elections.
Larkana, Dec 30 : The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Sunday decided to go ahead with the January 8 polls by participating in it, and urged the Pakistan Muslim League (N) led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to reconsider its decision of boycotting the general elections.
"We are grateful to Nawaz Sharif for coming here and paying respects to Benazir," said Asif Ali Zardari, who is the new co-chairman of the party, at a press conference after the marathon meeting of the party's Central Executive Committee at Bhutto's ancestral home, Naudero House in Larkana.
"We appeal him not to boycott the (January 8) polls," he added.
Meanwhile, PML-N spokesperson has confirmed that his party would take part in the elections.
Earlier, Sharif had said that his party would boycott the polls, as the elections seem to be 'meaningless' with the assassination of Benazir Bhutto on Thursday.
Today his party said that the announcement of the boycott of the polls after the assassination of Bhutto was made to send a message of solidarity towards her party and the people of her home province.
In Larkana, Zardari said that the PPP would go for agitation if the polls were not held in a free and fair manner.
Stating that the Bhutto family has always been in favour of holding polls and for a democratic Pakistan, Zardari said that even when Benazir's father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was ordered to be hanged by the then military dictatorship, the PPP went ahead with the polls.
"This time we are seeing a military dictator trying to evade holding polls, and we will not allow it to happen," Zardari added.
On the issue of Prime Ministership in the event of PPP winning majority in the polls, Zardari said that as per the will left by Bhutto that was signed on October 16, 2007, two days ahead of her return to Pakistan from her self-imposed exile, Senior Vice-Chairman of the party Makhdoom Amin Fahim will be the Prime Minister.
However, the party will take up a final decision after the polls, he added.
Zardari, who was nominated by Benazir to lead the party in the event of her death as per the will, is not contesting the polls this time. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the lone son of Benazir, who has been elected as the Chairman of the party, since Zardari refused to take up the post, is only 19 years of age and is too young to become the Prime Minister of the country.
ANI