Former Sindh Governor Imran Ismail has said he may live long enough to see PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari become the prime minister of Pakistan. In a recent statement, Ismail said there would be nothing wrong with Bilawal becoming prime minister if he earned the merit position.
However, he criticised the idea of someone reaching the top office simply because he is the son of Bhutto or carries the Sharif name. The former governor said he supports the devolution of powers to smaller provinces and the grassroots level. He stressed that if Pakistan is to move forward, the country must move beyond emotional politics.
He also questioned whether there was any accountability for the budgets allocated to cities and asked what shortcomings were preventing Pakistan from making progress. Imran Ismail said all political parties needed to work together on governance and develop a national agenda for the country.
Addressing the issue of creating new provinces, he said political parties often oppose the idea by describing it as a sensitive matter. He pointed out that mayors in many countries have significant powers, whereas in Pakistan, mayors often complain about a lack of funds and authority.
It is worth mentioning here that Former Sindh governor Imran Ismail had announced his decision to leave the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in 2023 and had condemned the violence that followed the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9.
Speaking at what he described as his final political press conference, Ismail had reflected on the highs and lows of his political career and said he was uncertain about his future in politics. He had called for those responsible for the May 9 violence to be held accountable and punished. “Someone had to take responsibility for the May 9 events, and the culprits should have been punished,” he had said, adding that he stood with the martyrs of the country.
Earlier that day, former PTI leader Ali Haider Zaidi had also announced his decision to quit politics and resign from his positions within the party. In a video message, Zaidi had said that his primary reason for entering politics had been to contribute to the betterment of Pakistan.