—Party leaders condemn blocking Chairman Bilawal’s Uch Sharif convoy, saying it refreshed memories of 2013 elections when PPP was stopped by Taliban
–No compromise to be made on freedom of expression, fundamental rights, says PPP leader Taj Haider
LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Sunday came down hard on politics of electables in Pakistan, asserting that such strategies have left behind the manifestos of the political fronts.
“Unfortunately today, the politics of electables is being practiced by the political parties which are harmful to the country,” said PPP Election Cell Incharge Taj Haider while talking to the media after inaugurating election cell here.
Taj Haider was referring to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s statement that the key to the Prime Minister House lies in understanding the country’s complex political realities where no candidate can win without using electables and money.
He added, “The PPP considers that the poor citizens must have the first right on the country’s resources. Therefore, the PPP launched the Benazir Incomes Support Programme which was actually meant to end poverty in the country. The PPP government in Sindh completed a number of power projects which could not be included in the national grid due to the absence of transmission lines.”
Taj Haider said PPP has set up an election cell in Lahore to provide guidance to election candidates and provide them facilities for the election campaign.
STOPPAGE OF BILAWAL CONVOY CONDEMNED:
He regretted that an attempt was made by the Punjab Police to prevent the convoy of Pakistan People’s Party Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari from reaching the Uch Sharif in the province where he had to address a rally.
“The Uch Sharif incident refreshed memories of 2013 elections when the convoy of PPP was stopped by the Taliban,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Punjab police on Saturday stopped the cavalcade of the PPP chairman at Uch Sharif when it was on its way to the shrine of Hazrat Jalaluddin Bukhari over “non-clearance of security”.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) took notice of the stopping of Bilawal’s cavalcade and ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob contacted the Punjab chief secretary and the inspector general of police, and sought a report on the incident. He said all parties should be given an equal opportunity to run their election campaigns without any hindrance.
“The PPP considers national reconciliation for taking forward the country and for its future. There will be no compromise on freedom of expression, fundamental rights, and media freedom,” he remarked.
Talking about the PPP’s demand for the removal of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general (DG), he said that the brother of FIA DG is contesting elections, alleging that he’s being supported by the civil institution.
Commenting on the rumours about the formation of the national government, he said usually the suggestion for forming the national government comes from the establishment. “I do not want to say that establishment is behind former Punjab chief minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PM-NL) President Shehbaz Sharif’s suggestion for installing the national government. There is a solution to this situation in the Constitution. The party having majority elects the prime minister.”
“PPP Chairman Asif Ali Zardari thinks that the government would be formed with the help of a large number of independent candidates. The PPP is against the majority of independent candidates,” he added.