No plan is under consideration in the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to replace Raja Riaz as the Punjab opposition leader, Pakistan Today has learnt.
PPP Punjab Parliamentary Leader Major (r) Zulfiqar Gondal categorically denied rumours that a decision has been made to replace Raja Riaz with PPP Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) and Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Qasim Zia as the Punjab opposition leader for not giving a tough time to the provincial government.
He said that there was no reality in the news and it was based on speculation to shatter PPP MPAs’ attention from real issues. Gondal said that opponents always try to demoralise PPP workers but could not succeed in the past and this time too would fail in dividing party. He said that how could the decision be taken in absence of the party co-chairman.
Gondal said that the party was united and Riaz was performing more than any opposition leader in the past. He said that the PPP was at the time busy in efforts to help the masses who were facing many problems. In Sindh, devastating floods have washed away villages and people were in a dire need of help and support while in Punjab, dengue outbreak had panicked the masses and the increasing loss of human lives did not permit the PPP to think about anything other than ways to help out the masses.
The PPP Punjab parliamentary leader said that the PPP had always worked for the betterment of the masses and would continue its struggle to facilitate the masses. Regarding the PPP’s strategy to combat dengue in the province, he said that they could just coordinate with government departments. Gondal said that PPP parliamentarians would point out flaws and shortcomings of the Punjab government. He said that all PPP parliamentarians have started working in their respective constituencies to eradicate dengue.
Regarding non-seriousness and political point scoring attempts of the Punjab government, Gondal said that the provincial government did ask the federal government to have an aerial spray in dengue-affected cities, which was not more than a foolish request, as aerial spray in the struggle against dengue was not more than a futile exercise.
Raja Riaz manages to hang on
