Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), has criticized the transparency of Pakistan’s general elections held in February, describing them as “not transparent.” However, the third-generation leader of the Sindh-based political party dismissed the widespread belief that the national elections were rigged.
Addressing a press conference in Quetta, Balochistan, Bhutto Zardari asserted that rigging has occurred in every election against his party. He emphasized the need for political consensus to end this “cycle of rigging.”
“The politicians need to agree that the match should be played fairly and the result should also be accepted,” he stated.
Bhutto Zardari highlighted the PPP’s leadership role in election reforms but noted that efforts are often obstructed by other parties or politicians. He cited examples of election rigging claims currently being addressed in election tribunals.
Discussing his party’s achievements, Bhutto Zardari praised the significant progress made by the Sindh government in the health sector. He pledged similar initiatives in Balochistan, promising to provide relief to its people and ensure access to quality healthcare and education.
“The PPP has done a lot of work in the health sector in Sindh, with a state-of-the-art hospital established in Gambat for liver transplants. The hospital in Naseerabad, Balochistan will be on par with the one in Gambat,” he added.
The PPP chairperson also reiterated the party’s commitment to abolishing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which he claimed has been used for political engineering and to tarnish the reputations of politicians. Although he did not specify who directs NAB’s actions, he hinted at the involvement of senior officials with military backgrounds.
Speaking at the National Assembly’s budget session, Bhutto Zardari expressed regret over the lack of consensus on NAB’s abolition.
“The PPP remains steadfast in its mission to ensure fair elections and improve public services,” he concluded.