Seemingly overshadowed by the apparently fruitful political activism of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, the leadership of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Monday announced to take to the streets to assert party’s status of “real opposition” in the country.
Briefing journalists after PPP’s Core Committee meeting at Bilawal House, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani announced that PPP will hold a public meeting at Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi on October 18 – the day when former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s convoy was attacked – which will also mark the beginning to Bilawal Butto’s political career.
Monday’s meeting was summoned and chaired by the PPP chairman in the backdrop of a public apology he sought for “sympathisers” of the party. The media show witnessed almost the entire PPP leadership present.
Terming PPP “government in waiting”, Gilani said that the party was not only the real opposition but was the ruling party in Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir and enjoyed a majority in the Senate.
“Our role as a real opposition (party) is that of a responsible opposition that goes in tandem with what we have inherited from our leadership,” said Gilani.
While two former premiers, Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, conducted the briefing, others in attendance were National Assembly Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah, Senator Raza Rabbani, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Manzoor Wattoo, PPP KP President Khanzada Khan, Sherry Rehman, Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, Abdul Qadir Patel and others.
Those PPP leaders, Gilani said, who were standing with Benazir on October 18, 2007 would accompany, what Raja added, “the great son” of their slain leader in Karachi next month.
Underlining terrorism and extremism, energy crises and the fragile economy as biggest challenges, Gilani said these issues could only be resolved by a big party like PPP which has political roots in all four provinces.
PPP INDIFFERENT TO PTI:
“We have nothing to do with Imran Khan. He has his own party and manifesto,” Gilani replied when asked if his side was supportive to PTI’s “Go Nawaz Go” slogan.
As Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, kept stressing Gilani throughout the briefing to stay focused on October 18 “Jalsa”, the latter kept pivoting his words around Bilawal, saying that he would be restarting Bhuttos’ journey for strengthening institutions and stabilising democracy.
“Today, all eyes are on the young leadership of Bilawal Bhutto who would take this journey to its logical end,” he added.
Asked if Bilawal would honour the party’s dissidents such as Safdar Abbasi and Naheed Khan, he said if they came, the party leadership was likely to make a “judicious” decision.
“Bilawal’s apology was not directed at the Jiyalas and office bearers but PPP sympathisers who had distanced themselves from the party,” Gilani said.