Bilawal Bhutto withdraws from Pakistan PM race, pledges support to Nawaz Sharif's party

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has withdrawn from the race for the position of Prime Minister, announcing that his party will extend support to the candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) without being part of the government.

Bilawal's decision came after Pakistan's former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed that Nawaz Sharif would seek the premiership for a record fourth time.

Speaking after a meeting of the PPP's Central Executive Committee, Bilawal stated that his party did not secure a mandate to form a government, leading to his withdrawal from the candidacy for Prime Minister.

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf's refusal to form a coalition with the PPP left the PML-N as the sole party inviting the PPP to join the government. Bilawal emphasised that the PPP's support for the PML-N's candidate aims to ensure political stability in the country.

The PPP will establish a committee to engage with other political parties for government formation and political stability.

Bilawal expressed the PPP's reluctance to join the federal government or assume ministries in the current setup, aiming to avoid political chaos. He emphasised the PPP's commitment to restoring political stability, ending political toxicity, and supporting crucial votes on an issue-to-issue basis to ensure government formation.

Responding to a question, Bilawal mentioned his father, former President Asif Ali Zardari, as a potential candidate for the presidency due to his capability in addressing the country's current challenges.

Bilawal acknowledged the PPP's past concerns with the PML-N during their coalition government, but he ruled out the possibility of fresh elections, assuring the formation of the parliament after the recent elections with an emphasis on not letting the people down.

The February 8 polls resulted in a fractured mandate, with independent candidates, largely supported by Imran Khan's PTI party, winning 101 seats in the 266-member National Assembly. The PML-N secured 75 seats, and the PPP obtained 54 seats.