Bilawal says he rejected power-sharing formula

Karachi: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has revealed that he said "No" to a power-sharing formula in which the prime minister’s post would be shared between his and former premier Nawaz Sharif's parties, as he did not want to take up the top post without the people's mandate.

The 35-year-old former foreign minister was the prime ministerial face of the PPP. However, in the February 8



elections, his party came third with 54 seats in the National Assembly, behind more than 90 seats won by independents backed by jailed prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 contested seats in the 266-member National Assembly.