PPP to launch campaign with 'positivity, not hate’

As the much-awaited general elections draw closer, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) announced Saturday that it will launch its election campaign in full swing on December 27 but the drive will be based on "positivity instead of negativity".

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will kick off the party's campaign with a grand rally in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh, marking his mother's death anniversary, party leaders announced at a press conference in Karachi after an “important” board meeting to discuss the plan of action for elections.

The announcement comes a day after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a schedule for general polls.

Heading into the general elections, set to take place on February 8, 2024, PPP said it was burying “old ways of politics” with a “no hate” motto.

“PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has made it clear: PPP will run its campaign on positivity, not negativity; we will have to bury the old ways of politics — demeaning one another and taking revenge,” the party’s senior leader, Sharjeel Memon told the media at the conference.

The politicians informed the media that PPP had already started the public communication campaign and after the announcement of the election schedule, the party chief reviewed the country's political situation.

“Some political leaders are still demanding revenge, while the ones who wanted to take action against their rivals are sitting in jail themselves,” Memon said, as other leaders at the presser quipped, as they targeted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif.

Memon added that the PPP chief has made it clear that the country’s problem isn’t taking revenge from one’s opponents, but the redressal of the nation’s issues — skyrocketing inflation and unemployment.

“PPP is talking about bringing people together, while other political parties are spreading negativity. The need of the hour is for Pakistanis to unite; this will lead to the country’s development,” he said.

The ex-minister said that Bilawal will lead PPP's election campaign by holding rallies all over the country.

Taking a jibe at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Memon said that "some parties" submitted petitions in the courts to find an escape from the elections.

Speaking on the occasion, Senator Sherry Rehman reiterated PPP's long-held demand for a level playing field for the party and the conduct of elections on the designated date without any delay.

A report published in The News has said that the PPP is set to issue the list of their candidates for the polls mid of next week, with Bilawal set to be the party's candidate for prime ministership.

PML-N is also expected to finalise the list of all its candidates next week for the upcoming polls, The News reported.

So far, no political party has announced its list of candidates for the polls — slated to take place on February 8, 2024.

However, PML-N has said that its supremo Nawaz — with a lifelong ban on holding any public office still an obstacle — is the candidate for the prime minister's slot for a fourth time.

According to well-placed sources, the PML-N has concluded its work on more than 70% of constituencies for choosing candidates; therefore, its list of the first batch of ticket-holders may be made public tomorrow (Sunday).

The party's parliamentary board conducted 10 meetings to finalise candidate names from various areas and is expected to complete the task on Monday (December 18).