Political muscle-flexing: PPP plans to upstage opposition drive

Series of rallies proposed including a gathering in Obaro.


Our Correspondent May 05, 2012

ISLAMABAD:


The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is planning to hold a series of public rallies in its main bastion Sindh to deflect pressure off embattled Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani following his conviction by the Supreme Court last week.


On Friday, President Asif Ali Zardari held a meeting with leaders of the PPP Sindh chapter, including the chief minister and his cabinet, in an effort to counter an opposition campaign against the prime minister and to nullify the implications of the court ruling.

Sources privy to the meeting told The Express Tribune that the ruling party is again planning to play the Sindh card.

President Zardari is likely to address a huge public gathering to be held in Obaro, a district on the Sindh-Punjab border.

Top leaders of the ruling party have been given the task of contacting key political figures of the province to persuade them to join the party on the eve of this gathering. The public gathering in Obaro will be followed by other events in interior Sindh

“We will not give Nawaz-League a free hand and the PPP will respond to them through all political means,” President Zardari was quoted as telling his party’s provincial leaders.

“The venue has been carefully decided taking into account PML-N’s plans for a protest movement in Punjab,” said a participant of the meeting.

As a follow-up to Friday’s meeting, he said, the Sindh chief minister has called another meeting in Ghotki on May 7 where each provincial assembly and National Assembly member of the PPP from Sindh will be given a specific task of bringing people from their respective constituencies.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2012.

COMMENTS (5)

naeem khan Manhattan,KS | 11 years ago | Reply

Is this president violating the constitution by indulging in political affairs? Where are the guardians of constitution? I thought the Presidency is supposed to be a neutral body and the occupier of that seat is not suppose be involved in party politics. Just look toward the East and see how Indian President is behaving. Pakistan is a lawless country and the whole world knows it and say it.

Uzair Javaid | 11 years ago | Reply

Yeah right. Just yesterday i saw a total fake demonstration with no more than 50 people protesting against Nawaz Shareef. PPP is mobilizing their regional assets and buying the support of local labourers, one of them talked to me and said he was paid 1000Rs to protest by the MNA of Rawalpindi whom i dont want to name. This is another of the series of protest which would now erupt in different parts of the country. The image above clearly shows there are no more than 100 people in the procession.

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