Joint front? Opposition should contest senate elections together : PPP

Wattoo meets PML-Q chief on behalf of PPP co-chairman Zardari .

LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Punjab president Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo said on Tuesday that opposition parties should contest the upcoming senate elections together.

He was speaking to reporters after calling on Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on behalf of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Wattoo said he was keen on joining forces with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) in this regard.

Wattoo said the time was ripe for all opposition parties to join hands to offset the impact of the government’s incompetence and poor governance.

He took exception to reports suggesting that the government had been altering the beneficiary list of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Wattoo said the government should desist from doing such a thing.

He said the programme was a landmark initiative of the PPP for women empowerment. He said the programme was a flagship social security project for those at the end of the food chain. Wattoo said the PPP and the PML-Q would remain in touch.

Hussain said matters of state could not be run without the cooperation of the opposition.

He emphasised the importance of an understanding between the government and the opposition.

Hussain critisised the government for dropping several public welfare projects initiated by the PML-Q government only as they had been inaugurated by former deputy prime minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. He praised General Raheel Sharif’s visit to the United States of America, the United Kingdom and China. Hussain said he had visited IDP camps being run by the army and was satisfied with the arrangements made there.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2015.