We cannot be forced into negotiations with gun to our heads: Bilawal

Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Thursday that the ruling coalition will not negotiate with anyone with a gun to their head, a statement that comes after the top court told the federal coalition and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to sit together and develop a consensus on elections today, Aaj News reported.

During the hearing today, Farooq H. Naek, representing the PPP, informed the top court that political parties had already started working together for the elections. He said Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto had met JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman on the matter.

He further said that they would meet with the PTI to end the ongoing tensions.

On Wednesday, the SC issued notices to political parties asking them to send their representatives on Thursday regarding the case.

Talking to reports in Islamabad today, the foreign minister said the ruling coalition will implement the top court's 4-3 decision on the dismissal of suo motu case regarding elections in Punjab.

Bilawal went on to say that the ruling was in favour of holding elections in all provinces together, stressing that polls should be held in a free and fair manner.

PPP chairman said that pressure was being imposed on the ruling coalition to negotiate with the PTI chairman.

He maintained that the ruling coalition didn't violate the "90 days stipulation" regarding polls, but somebody else did.

"Assembly was dissolved in Peshawar and 90 days have passed but elections have not been held," he said.

He said that even during Imran Khan's tenure, local body elections were not conducted in Punjab. "No one took notice of that," he stressed.

Bilawal said that they were against "one unit in the past and are against it today too."

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lambasted the Supreme Court for issuing a stay order against the bill aimed at curtailing the powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan while the law “is still in the making."

He was referring to the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023 which is aimed at curtailing the powers of the chief justice of Pakistan, including revoking the power to take suo moto notice in an individual capacity.

The bill was passed by National Assembly and the Senate, but it was challenged in the top court, which barred the government from implementing it.

Speaking on Thursday, PM Shehbaz said that it was time for the state institutions to unite for the safety of the Constitution to protect the national interest supreme.