Upcoming elections: PPP will win seats from Lahore, says PM

Ashraf says ‘wind storm’ caused power outages. PHOTO: FILE

The premier was busy all day on Friday, conducting a series of meetings with party workers from various divisions and later, visiting the residence of Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Asif Hashmi.

Echoing the words of President Asif Ali Zardari, who had also claimed that the PPP would win the next elections in Punjab, the prime minister told party workers to prepare themselves as the party is going to win seats in Lahore.

Premier Ashraf said that Abdul Qadir Gilani’s recent victory in Multan proves that the PPP has its roots in the country despite the fact that all political parties had created an alliance against it.

Regarding the energy crisis, the prime minister blamed the load-shedding on a wind storm which disrupted the flow of electricity and even cited the example of the recent blackout in India. He added that the government would soon overcome the power shortage.

Earlier, the premier and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid senior leader and Deputy Prime Minister Ch Parvez Elahi held a special meeting at the Governor’s House.

According to a press release, during the meeting, both leaders were confident their parties’ alliance would emerge as the biggest electoral force.

Prime Minister Ashraf and Elahi on this occasion also exchanged views on political matters and the problems faced by the people.

Elahi welcomed the announcement by the prime minister that the PML-Q would neither be ignored nor denied a rightful position at any stage.

During the meeting, the premier also assured that PML-Q parliamentarians would be given development funds equal to PPP parliamentarians and both the parties would contest the next general election together.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2012.