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.
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