Jumping the gun: PPP decides to contest NA by-polls

In a departure from the principled stance adopted by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has decided to contest the upcoming by-polls for the National Assembly.

The polls will be held on seats vacated in the National Assembly after resignations of 70 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members was accepted by the NA Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf.

After Ashraf had accepted the resignations earlier in the month, PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman had announced that parties allied with the ruling coalition would not move to contest the by-polls and allow the PTI to regain them.

However, the PPP decision has come after Imran Khan provoked the PPP by leveling a serious allegation against the party’s co-chairman Zardari, accusing him of plotting an assassination of Imran.

The PPP has asked all party members hopeful of securing a ticket for the by-polls to submit their applications by February 3.

PPP Secretary General Farhatullah Babar said that candidates must send a bank draft of Rs40,000 with their application.

He added that while other PDM parties will not participate in the elections, they will support the PPP candidates.