Bilawal orders PPP to gear up for elections after SC verdict

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has said that his party was fully prepared for the elections, whether held within three months or later. He, however, underscored the need to discern the essence of the Supreme Court's detailed verdict.

The PPP chief's remarks came hours after the country's top court ruled on Wednesday that elections for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab assemblies should be held within 90 days of their dissolution. Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial had announced the three-two split verdict in the suo motu case on Wednesday. 

"The PPP is always ready for elections, whether they take place within three months or afterwards," Bilawal said while speaking in a meeting with party leaders in Lahore later in the day.

The PPP's chief called on his party's organisations to gear up for the upcoming elections. The candidate that performs better than what they did before will receive the ticket, he noted, however, asserting that the party's parliamentary board would make the final decision in this regard.

He also ordered that the paperwork of candidates for the national and provincial assemblies' seats be completed within one week.

In a televised address on the same day, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan also directed the party's leaders and workers to kick-start preparations for the elections on March 4.

"After the verdict, we ended the 'Jail Bharo' [court arrest] movement. We are starting the election campaign on Saturday," the PTI chief said during the address via video link from Lahore.

SC issues directives for polls in Punjab, KP

Bilawal's call for his party to get electoral campaigning off the ground has set the tone for elections in the country following the SC's order to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to consult President Dr Arif Alvi to fix a date for general elections to the Punjab assembly.

For the elections in KP, the verdict directs the governor to announce a date for the polls after consulting the ECP. 

The top court ruled that one thing that was "absolutely crucial is the timeframe" for the polls. It added that the Constitution envisages two periods for holding polls — 60 days in case the assembly is dissolved after its term is completed and 90 days in case the assembly is dissolved before the expiry of its term.

The verdict also directed the federal government to ensure that the polls are carried out as per the Constitution.