Following suit: PPP unveils election manifesto

GILGIT:

A day after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) presented a written election manifesto, Pakistan Peoples Party followed suit on Thursday, promising a series of welfare projects for the region. The election manifesto was presented to the media by former information minister Qamar Zaman Kaira at Gilgit Press Club.

“Whatever has been given to this region to date was given by PPP,” said Karia, referring to the development and constitutional packages, including the governance order of 2009 which made G-B a de facto province. PPP leaders including Zamrud Khan, Afzal Nadim Chand and Nayyar Bukhari were also present on the occasion. Senior figures are in G-B in a bid to consolidate whatever is left of the party after mass defections.

Kaira said his party would hold local government elections if it comes into power in the legislative assembly polls. “We will establish a G-B public service commission and an information technology university after coming to power,” he said.

He accepted the flaws of the previous government and said there is room for improvement. “Our government must have made mistakes in the past but we are learning and will improve things,” he said amidst appeal for votes. He was hopeful people would vote for PPP in return for services rendered long ago by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto. Commenting on Imran Khan’s visit to Skardu, also on Thursday, Kaira said Imran was an “emotional man” who was worried as he failed to achieve his dreams.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29^th, 2015.