Bilawal personally monitoring PPP's election campaign: Party sources

PPP chairman is believed to be in Pakistan for the past week, spoke with party leaders through video link on Friday.

KARACHI: On a day the Awami National Party’s candidate was shot dead in Karachi, a score kilometres away the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held a meeting with the provincial heads of his party through video link on Friday.

Bilawal, who has had to limit his election appearances to video messages due to threats, directed party leaders to make precautionary measures given the terrorist attacks on the offices and workers of different political parties in the country. Last week, a corner meeting of the PPP in Lyari was targeted through a bomb that killed two people and injured at least 12 others.

Reliable sources in the party have told The Express Tribune that Bilawal is currently in Karachi. He is believed to have been in Pakistan for much of the past week, silently overseeing the election campaign. However, unlike the usual flurry of activity of his press corps that surrounds Bilawal during his stay in town, there has been an air of secrecy. His office only sent one press release three days ago that condemned violence against political parties.

“Bilawal will soon address the public gathering either in Sindh or Punjab, the video address for which will be shared with media within a couple of days,” party sources said adding that while he will be personally monitoring the election campaign, he not physically participate in the activities because of the security threats to him.

Additionally, Bilawal’s chief of staff, who always accompanies the party chairman, was also currently in Karachi, indicating that Bilawal was also in Pakistan than in Dubai.