Paying tribute to outgoing President Zardari, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) announced the holding of a welcome rally at the Lahore Airport on Sunday to receive Zardari.
The PPP organised a special ceremony on Friday to pay tribute to Zardari on becoming the country’s first president to complete his constitutional tenure.
PPP Central Secretary Latif Khosa presided over the ceremony held at the Lahore Press Club and lauded the policy of reconciliation in politics by Zardari.
The PPP was largely recognised as one of the county’s largest political parties, but a large defeat in the general elections due to the PPP government’s failure to overcome electricity and gas load shedding and high inflation resulted in the departure of most of the party’s cadre. Even in the August 22 by-elections, the PPP faced some trouble in the distribution of party tickets as there was a lack of candidates generally in Punjab, and especially in Lahore.
Anyhow, in the seminar, a good number of workers as well as some known faces of the party including Shaukat Basra, Naveed Chaudhry, Zulfiqar Gondal, Rana Ashar, Zahid Zulfiqar and Afnan Butt participated and showed their hope towards re-strengthening the party under Zardari’s leadership during his stay in Lahore.
While addressing the charged PPP workers, Khosa said that PPP workers would continue in their struggle for strengthening democracy in Pakistan.
Basra said that the PPP leadership had already given numerous sacrifices and it would continue its struggle in the future. He said that the party workers were united under the Bilawal Bhutto’s Chairmanship and that the party would attain good results in the next Punjab local government elections.
Other speakers also praised the efforts of Zardari for strengthening democracy in Pakistan when the country was facing several complex issues at both internal and external levels. On the occasion, it was also announced that the party leaders would decorate Lahore with banners, hoardings, and other decorations on Zardari’s arrival.
Zardari will step down from the presidency on Saturday after receiving the country’s first presidential tenure-completion guard of honour. His already elected successor, Mamnoon Hussain will take his oath in a special ceremony the following day.
Zardari has planned to stay in Lahore soon after vacating the President’s House in Islamabad on Sunday evening. He is aiming to revive Bhuttos’ party which was defeated in the May elections.
