Next Punjab CM to be from opposition, claims Zardari

Islamabad: Former president Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday claimed the next Punjab chief minister (CM) will also be from the opposition ranks as they have the required numbers (for electing a new CM) and not the ruling party.

He said when he was addressing a presser alongside government ally Aslam Bhootani who announced to join the opposition ranks in a joint press conference with leading opposition figures in Islamabad. Aslam Bhootani is an elected independent MNA from NA-272 (Lesbela-cum-Gwadar) who got 68,804 votes in 2018 general elections.

"We want the country to be handled anew [...] we want the issues to be resolved," the BAP leader, whose party has four MNAs, said while addressing a press conference alongside Opposition's bigwigs — PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, PDM chief Fazlur Rehman, Asif Ali Zardari, and PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday.

Bilawal Bhutto thanked Bhootani for posing confidence in them and also congratulated him for becoming a part of the joint opposition. He said it was a norm to keep contacting the political leaders.

He said considering the situation in the country they wanted to take along all the parties. He said PML-Q was ready to work along with the opposition.