ISLAMABAD  -  Pakistan People’s Party supremo Asif Ali Zardari believes the PPP can still win the general elec­tions, close aides said.

Zardari’s aides told The Nation that Zardari was optimistic about the general elec­tions results despite the upcoming return of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) chief Nawaz Sharif. “Zardari told a (recent) meet­ing of the PPP that the party can win and we should not waste our efforts in fighting with other parties,” said a participant of the PPP Central Executive Committee meeting.

He added: “Zardari is also active to defuse tension with the PML-N. This should give us more time to focus on election rather than at­tacking and responding to other parties’ allega­tions.” This comes as the PPP and the PML-N en­gage in a war of words, a month after they jointly completed the 16-month term of a co­alition government led by the PML-N. The two had earlier joined hands to oust Imran Khan as the Prime Minister in a no-confidence vote.

Another close aide of Zardari said the PPP was not ‘out of the game.’ “Let the elec­tions be announced. We will win under the leadership of Zardari. Out leadership is sure of good performance in polls,” he remarked. Yesterday, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the Election Com­mission should give a date for the elections. “After the election date I will be able to tell what kind of alliance the PPP is making or not making. At the mo­ment in the CEC meet­ing of the Party we de­manded election date and schedule. The PPP demand of return of Nawaz Sharif to coun­try is an old one. 

The PPP can never be pushed to the wall,” he added. He reminded that when Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was executed then some people had thought “we will be pushed to the wall but no one could then. When Benazir Bhutto was martyred we did not retreat and ran an election campaign. 

As far as the reserva­tions of level playing field, we empowered Asif Ali Zardari to ad­dress them. If they are not addressed then my hands will not remain tied.” Separately, PML-N Senator Irfan Sid­diqui, said that Asif Ali Zardari was a powerful president at the time of 2013 elections while the PML-N had no support from any corner. “I do not understand how Bi­lawal Bhutto can claim of a plan to oust the Peo­ple’s Party from Punjab in 2013,” he said.