KARACHI - PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said he will soon visit Punjab to reorganise party at local level so that the party could achieve good results in upcoming Local Government elections in the province. Presiding a meeting with party office-bearers of Punjab at Bilawal House on Thursday, he said that he will meet workers during his Punjab visit and reorganise the party from ward to district level so that they could field best available candidates in the LG elections from all constituencies.
Former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, PPP Central Punjab president Manzoor Wattoo, Senator Sherry Rehman, PPP South Punjab president Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, Qamar Zaman Qaira and others were also present in the meeting.
Pakistan People’s Party performed poor in last general elections in Punjab, it’s provincial leadership isn’t much happy with the party leadership which have been giving all attention to Sindh, where the party rules, and many of party’s prominent figures have left it. The latest setback came the other day when two key leaders from Okara, Syed Sumsan Bokhari and Ashraf Sohna, joined Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf. Bilawal has long been reported to have differences with his father and party co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari over the ways things were being managed in Punjab. He was recently given a ‘freehand’ by Zardari to reorganise party in Punjab with the ‘consultation’ of party leaders.
In Thursday meeting, PPP Punjab president briefed Bilawal about different issues, including the preparations for upcoming LG elections, party performance in by-polls at Nankana Sahib and Mandi Bahauddin, and understanding reached with other parties in Punjab. It was decided that the party will discuss the issue of change in PPP Punjab setup with the central executive committee. Step-to-step reorganisation would be made in the province from districts and ward level.
The PPP leadership decided that membership campaign will be initiated after Eidul Fitr. The canvassing campaign regarding the LB elections will also start in next month. Public gatherings and workers conventions will be the part of the campaign. PPP will field candidates on all seats. The political coalitions would be made after consulting with the office-bearers at district level. PPP has also decided to contact those party leaders in Punjab who have remained inactive due to various reasons and have reservations with the party leadership. Bilawal will oversee the whole process. Bilawal on the occasion directed the leaders to restore contacts with the workers and present a comprehensive report on the matter. The leaders briefed the chairman about the schedule of his visit to the province in which he would hold meetings with the workers and PPP leaders.
Earlier, PPP chairman visited provincial minister Javaid Nagori’s residence and condoled with his brother over the loss of Nagori’s life in a terrorist attack in May. He also interacted with the residents of Lyari, saying Lyari is the stronghold of PPP and its residents had great respect for the vision of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.