Zardari chastises PPP over Sialkot loss

Issues directives to revamp PPP's performance in Punjab

LAHORE:

President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed strong displeasure over the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) defeat in the PP-52 Sialkot (Sambrial) by-election, pulling up senior party officials for underwhelming performance.

Zardari aired his concerns during his recent political engagements at the Governor House in Lahore, where he also held meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other key political figures.

During his interaction with PPP Punjab's leadership, President Zardari openly rapped party officials for their handling of the by-election campaign in PP-52, expressing concern over the party's continued weak footing in the province.

He issued fresh instructions to both central and provincial leadership aimed at rebuilding the party's strength across Punjab.

Meanwhile, PPP's Central Punjab Information Secretary Shahzad Saeed Cheema has clarified that there was no discussion regarding the PP-52 Sambrial by-election during President Asif Ali Zardari's recent meeting with party officials in Lahore.

He also dismissed reports of Zardari chastising party officials over the by-election defeat, claiming that the party secured more votes than in the previous polls.

During a meeting with the family of the late PPP Punjab president Sheikh Rafiq Ahmad, Zardari expressed regret over not appointing the late Sheikh Rafiq as president of Pakistan, saying that had the party made that choice instead of Farooq Leghari, the party might have been spared the crises it later endured, and no one would have dared to betray it from within.

Centre-Punjab cooperation

In a separate meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the two leaders discussed the growing Pakistan-India tensions and the broader political landscape of the country.

According to insiders, they reached an understanding to address the concerns of provinces and coalition partners in the upcoming 2025–26 federal budget.

Sources also revealed that PM Shehbaz commended Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for effectively articulating Pakistan's position on India at international forums, particularly in light of the ongoing regional strain.