Bilawal launches campaign to mobilise party workers
LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party has decided to show its political power in the Punjab capital as party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has kicked off a campaign to mobilise workers here.
The young PPP leader on Monday morning chaired a meeting of the organising committee he had set up a day ago for holding the party’s foundation day, falling on Nov 30, in Lahore in a befitting manner.
The committee comprises leaders from all the four provinces. They included Qamar Zaman Kaira, Aitzaz Ahsan, Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, Nitasha Daultana, Chaudhry Manzoor, Sameena Ghurki, Humayun Khan, Najmuddin Khan and Sardar Fateh Muhammad Husni.
The participants were reportedly asked to set targets for their respective areas for bringing maximum number of activists to the Nov 30 event for making it a major political show.
In the afternoon, Bilawal began his drive to motivate and mobilise workers demoralised by the part defeat in the last elections amid long absence of the leadership from the political scene.
He went to the outhouse of party ticket-holder Ashraf Bhatti close to the Defence Housing Authority after attending a Chehlum gathering in a nearby Imam Bargah. Dozens of workers took selfies with their leader at the Bhatti’s house amid slogans of “jiaye Bhutto”.
Talking to reporters, the PPP chairman said the decision on homecoming of co-chairperson and his father Asif Ali Zardari had been taken. “[Former] president Zardari would definitely return. But the day and city for the purpose is yet to be decided.”
He hinted that Lahore and Rawalpindi, other than Karachi, could also be chosen as the venue for the co-chairperson’s landing.
Dispelling the impression of differences between him and his father on various party affairs, he said that they had been working jointly and would do so in future as well.
Replying to a question about the new army chief, he hoped that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would take a decision on merit and in the better interest of the institution.
About the National Action Plan, he said it was the plan of the PML-N and that it required to be held accountable “democratically”.
He criticised Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, saying the latter had totally failed in protecting life and property of the citizens as Shia community was being targeted from Quetta to Peshawar by the terrorists.
In an earlier tweet, Bilawal rejected Chaudhry Nisar’s comments on the criticism the interior ministry was facing.
Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2016