Bilawal reaches out to opposition

As the PPP welcomed the Supreme Court's decision regarding the shifting of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital, a debate has been triggered over emerging political alignments in the country. A PPP delegation, led by its Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, met opposition leaders Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Abbas Nasir at the Parliament House on Wednesday. It is learnt that Bilawal urged close coordination between the opposition and the PPP on upcoming legislation. Bilawal also urged the opposition to rejoin parliamentary standing committees. He also sought opposition coordination over the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), as well as electoral reforms. On the other hand, Achakzai, the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, stressed the need to restore the Constitution to its original form. He said the TTAP was ready to act as a bridge between the PPP and PTI. "Political forces should unite for the sake of democracy." Various political circles were curious as to why the PPP leadership chose to meet opposition leaders at this time. Some political analysts suggested that the PPP chairman's meeting on Wednesday was not an isolated event. The meeting comes at a time when the system seems to have extended an olive branch to Imran Khan, while both the ruling PML-N and its coalition partner, the PPP, face pressure for a new constitutional amendment. At present, relations between the two coalition partners appear tense following the recent general elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where the PML-N won 25 of the 45 seats, while the PPP lagged behind with just 12 seats. Analysts say Bilawal played a crucial role in the passage of the 26th and 27th amendments. Similarly, the PPP takes pride in enacting the 18th Amendment; therefore, the party would consider it political suicide if the 18th Amendment were rolled back through the creation of smaller provinces, particularly in Sindh. Meanwhile, the government has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court's order. Regardless of the fate of the government's review petition, the PPP delegation's meeting with opposition leaders is likely to raise eyebrows. Taking serious exception to the review petition, Faisal Chaudhry Advocate expressed dismay. Talking to The Express Tribune, Chaudhry alleged that the federal government had acted in a "petty manner" and preferred politics instead of showing grace over the "deteriorated medical condition" of the former prime minister. "It is a baseless petition that even lacks basic grounds to compel exercise of review jurisdiction," he said. "How could the chief commissioner of Islamabad, who is a stranger to the proceedings, impugn the court order?" he added.