Imran Khan's lawmakers will happily vote for PPP in Senate polls, says Bilawal

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers will happily vote for his party in the Senate elections as they "know that Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government is on its way out".

Addressing a gathering in Karachi celebrating the victory of PPP member Yousuf Murtaza Baloch in Malir's by-polls, Bilawal said, "If the government has faith in its members, why is it trying to enter through a back door?"

According to a report by Geo News, Bilawal said that the PTI lawmakers will "happily vote for PPP" since they "know that the government is on its way out".

He also warned Imran Khan that his party will "not allow anyone" to make the Senate elections "controversial" or to "rig" them.

They were thinking we will boycott the [Senate] elections and make things easy for them," he said.

"Wherever by-elections have been held, the government has suffered a humiliating defeat," he said, adding that the victory in the PS-88 by-polls "proves that Karachi is Bhutto's city".

"The card played by Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has left them (PTI) in a pcked state," Bilawal said while highlighting that the Opposition's alliance will "add to their worries" in Islamabad, Punjab and Sindh, in the Senate elections.

"Their worry is making them try to rig the elections through someone or the other," he added.

The Pakistan Election Commission has announced that the Senate elections will take place on March 3, reported Geo News.

This announcement came days after Pakistan President Arif Alvi had signed the Elections (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 to pave the way for Senate elections to be held via an "open and identifiable ballot".

The ordinance stated that according to Section 226 of the Constitution: "All elections under the Constitution, other than those of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister, shall be by secret ballot". The Ordinance will come into effect "at once" and "extend to the whole of Pakistan, said the President.

The Pakist opposition leaders have vehemently opposed the government's move to hold Senate elections via a show of hands.

( With inputs from ANI )