On the cards: PPP consulting parties for seat adjustments

PESHAWAR:

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) provincial president Anwar Saifullah Khan on Saturday said his party was in the process of consulting other political forces for seat adjustments.

Talking to reporters following a party meeting at his residence, Saifullah said PPP was in touch with JUI-F, JI, Qaumi Watan Party and JUI-S for the purpose, but ruled out the possibility of an electoral alliance with any party. “PPP contested 2008 elections on its own, and will do so this time as well.”

Four committees have been formed with Shamroz Khan Jadoon heading Hazara, provincial health minister Syed Zahir Ali Shah heading Peshawar, Ahmed Hassan Khan heading Malakand and Saifullah himself heading the committee for the southern districts. He said that party’s district chapters have been directed to start negotiations with other parties, after which the regional committees will take over. He maintained they have received applications of 500 candidates for the party’s provincial leadership, adding that their fate will be discussed in a provincial parliamentary board meeting of Najmuddin Khan, Senator Sardar Ali Khan, Faisal Karim Kundi, Anwar Saifullah Khan and Rahimdad Khan.

Three candidates will be selected and the final decision will be made by the party’s chairman, co-chairman and its federal parliamentary board. Saifullah said if the PPP wins the upcoming parliamentary polls, its priority will be to hold local government elections promptly, so that “lawmakers can concentrate on lawmaking instead of making streets and drains.” He also said his party will present its economic manifesto ahead of the elections, adding that intra-party polls will be held to elect office bearers after the parliamentary polls.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2013.