Party leaders from Punjab criticise Manzoor Wattoo for failing to work along with other senior leaders
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership on Thursday took stock of the situation in Punjab where the party is faced with mass desertions from senior leaders.
The meeting was chaired by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Bilawal House in Karachi and was attended by senior leaders from Punjab including PPP Punjab President Manzoor Wattoo, former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Sherry Rehman, President of South Punjab Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira, Finance Secretary Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, former MNA Nadeem Afzal Gondal and Shaukat Basra.
An official handout issued from Bilawal House said that the PPP leaders were of the opinion that people, especially from Punjab, had great expectations from Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
“Speaking on the occasion, the PPP chairman said that these kinds of consultative meetings should be held at every level so that the party can be strengthened. He stressed that party leaders should establish direct contact with people for full preparations for local government elections,” the statement said.
WATTOO BLAMED FOR DEFECTIONS:
However, a source privy to the proceedings of the meeting told Pakistan Today that some senior leaders had criticized Wattoo for failing to work in coordination with other senior leaders.
“Firdous Ashiq Awan spoke her heart out about what she called was the party’s failure to accept its due role of opposition. She told Bilawal that the Sindhi lawmakers in the National Assembly and the Senate had badly failed to act as opposition and rather the party looked to be a coalition partner of the ruling PML-N,” the source said, adding that Firdous stressed on the need for a “major surgery” to revive the party as the current leaders had failed to deliver.
The source said that Firdous had also tendered her resignation as the party’s vice president of Punjab and asked the chairman to bring about a new leadership. However, Bilawal asked the female politician to serve the party in the same capacity.
“Firdous also asked Bilawal to introduce accountability in the party and appoint office bearer on the basis of performance. She said that if heads are not rolled, the party might face more desertions in the coming days,” said the source.
The source said that Bilawal has also appointed Faisal Karim Kundi as PPPP’s information secretary to replace Samsam Bokhari, who officially left the party on Wednesday.
Another PPP leader told Pakistan Today that some leaders openly criticised Manzoor Wattoo’s role as Punjab president and said that he had victimised the PPP leaders due to which the entire party organisation in Okara, including Ashraf Sohna and Samsam Bokhari, had abandoned the PPP.
When contacted, Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the meeting was a part of a consultative process launched by Bilawal to listen to the grievances and suggestions of his party leaders.
Asked whether the PPP chairman had expressed displeasure over the performance of Manzoor Wattoo and whether Wattoo was being replaced, Kaira termed the notion as “absolutely baseless”.
“We have shared our opinions with the party chairman and now he will discuss the issues with other leaders. But no administrative changes are being made for the time being. Such stories appearing in the media are baseless,” he maintained.
Defectors did the right thing. Nobody was listening to them. Manzoor Watoo is responsible for the divisive politics. It is too late Bilawal , no use crying over spilled milk. Reorganize the part in Punjab. Remove Watoo, he is the baggage. What is done can not be undone now. There is no flicker of hope.
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