• Bilawal calls on opposition to end boycott of parliamentary committees
• Says ‘genuine alliance’ with PML-N not possible until AJK poll-related concerns addressed
• PPP chief sees nexus forming between TTP, Baloch separatists and Sindhi nationalist groups
• Opposition leaders to consult Imran Khan before making a decision
• Electoral reforms identified as a potential area of cooperation
ISLAMABAD: Saying that a genuine alliance with the PML-N was not possible until their grievances regarding the recent Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) polls were addressed, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Wednesday established formal contact with the main opposition PTI, offering to cooperate with the party in parliament.
“The PPP and the opposition have agreed to maintain contact and cooperate on legislative matters in the parliament,” said an official PPP announcement issued after Mr Bhutto-Zardari’s meeting with opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate, Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Raja Nasir Abbas, respectively.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) Secretary General Asad Qaiser, Vice Chairman Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and PTI whip Aamir Dogar were also present.
The opposition leaders said they would decide after consulting the PTI founder, Imran Khan, it added.
While the immediate focus during the meeting was parliamentary cooperation — from restoring the opposition’s participation in committees to pursuing electoral reforms — the meeting also carried a broader political undertone.
The signal from the PPP may be that, while it remains part of the coalition government, it is willing to engage more assertively with the opposition, particularly as tensions over the AJK election results continue to simmer.
When approached for comment, TTAP’s Mr Khokhar noted that the country’s politics had become a highly polarised “us-against-them” affair. “Eventually, we have to find wayts to end the ongoing crisis and that can only happen if political parties find common ground,” he said.
‘A good start’
Speaking to the media later, Mr Bhutto-Zardari termed the meeting a “good start”, saying his party wanted parliament to be functional and lawmakers to play their role, as mandated by the public.
“If we want our parliament to be functional and its institutions or dignitaries to work, then the opposition should review their decision of boycotting the parliamentary process,” he said. “Whether you are sitting on opposition benches or treasury benches, everyone complains about the electoral process; then it is our responsibility to make reforms in our electoral process,” the PPP chairman said.
For this single-point agenda, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that the opposition should play its role so that a plan may be formulated for reforms in the electoral process through mutual consensus.
The PPP chairman stated that a “communication gap” between his party and the opposition had been lessened after the meeting. He said the two sides had initiated discussions on several issues, particularly the “low-hanging fruit” such as electoral reforms.
When asked about the possibility of the 28th Constitutional Amendment, the PPP chairman said there had been no discussions between the PPP and PML-N on the matter.
New provinces
Regarding the creation of new provinces, he said: “The PPP will stand with the public’s opinion, and whatever decision is taken with mutual understanding, the party will support it. We will never accept anything by force.”
He said the people of Gilgit-Baltistan had a legitimate and longstanding demand for full constitutional rights and representation, which the PPP supported.
Regarding South Punjab, he said there was no logical reason to oppose a new province if its elected representatives had formally endorsed the proposal. Decisions on new provinces, he added, should be taken through parliament, the relevant provincial assemblies and consultation with the people.
In response to a question, the PPP chairman also hailed the SC order for transfer of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan to Shifa hospital for treatment, calling it ‘democratic’.
The PPP chairman also expressed his concerns over rising inflation, stating that the increasing electricity, gas, petrol, diesel and essential commodity prices were placing a severe burden on ordinary households.
AJK elections
The PPP chairman alleged that the AJK election process had been made controversial for political interests. “The PPP’s reserved seats had been systematically taken away and armed attacks had been carried out against its peaceful workers in Bhimber and Mirpur, resulting in the death of a PPP worker,” he said.
He alleged that the federal government’s political and administrative machinery had remained active in AJK throughout the six-phase election process, raising serious questions over its transparency. The PPP, he said, had raised its objections before the Election Commission, parliament and other constitutional forums, but the PML-N had failed to address its concerns or engage in meaningful dialogue after the polls.
Moreover, he said the commitments and political understandings reached with the PML-N before the prime minister’s election had not been honoured. The PPP had cooperated in the wider national interest, he said, but there could be no genuine alliance with the PML-N unless the party’s concerns over the AJK elections were addressed and political commitments fulfilled.
He pointed out that the government needed PPP’s votes for several important laws, constitutional amendments and difficult bills. He said legislation could not be forced through on the basis of a majority or through coercion.
Security situation
Talking about the fight against terrorism, the PPP chairman said a dangerous nexus between the BLA, Sindhi nationalist groups and the TTP had been formed. The elements involved have bases in Afghanistan and have carried out terrorist attacks in Karachi and other major cities.
He called for a coordinated diplomatic and security strategy to dismantle the network and prevent external support for terrorism.
Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2026
