Political ripples: PTI aiming for mid-term elections, says Wattoo

Says PPP will observe July 5 as black day against Ziaul Haq’s coup.

LAHORE:

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s campaign against the government is an effort to create an environment for holding mid-term elections in the country, said Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Punjab President Manzoor Wattoo on Saturday.

Addressing journalists at a press conference, Wattoo said the PPP would not support the PTI’s effort for mid-term polls. “However, we will be ready to face any political situation in the larger interest of democracy,” he said. The PPP leader said his party would not leave the field open for “opportunists and crooks”.

Wattoo claimed the PTI chairman would withdraw his long march call before Eid because of the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan.

He said the PPP was being reorganised at the district level. “The party leadership wants to strengthen the PPP at the union council and ward level in rural and urban areas in the next two months,” Wattoo said.

The PPP leader said the blood donation campaign to mark former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s birth anniversary was proceeding well. “The blood collected so far has been donated to combined military hospitals (CMHs),” he said.

Wattoo said the blood donation campaign had been started on the direction of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto.

He said the party would observe July 5 as black day to mark General Ziaul Haq’s coup against former prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s government.

The PPP leader said his party would hold functions and seminars to pay tribute to its workers and leaders who waged a difficult struggle against the dictatorship for 11 years. He said workers’ conventions would be held at the district level in September and October. “The PPP chairman will address each convention through video link,” Wattoo said. He said they had directed workers to collect relief goods and funds to help IDPs.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2014.