Bilawal to skip Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's death anniversary event in Garhi Khuda Bux

Senior PPP leader says it will be mega event, with co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and senior PPP leadership attending

ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will not attend the 36th death anniversary of his grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, one of the mega events for the party, to be held on April 4, in Garhi Khuda Bux.

This was revealed during a meeting of Sindh Council members at the CM House on Saturday. The meeting, chaired by PPP Sindh president Syed Qaim Ali Shah, was convened for finalising preparations of Bhutto’s death anniversary.

Read: Bilawal to visit Pakistan by end of March: sources

“Unlike Benazir Bhutto’s last death anniversary held on December 27, it will be a mega event where people from all over the country will be in attendance. Co-chairman of the party Asif Ali Zardari will be there with the central and provincial leadership, but chairman Bilawal has again excused to attend it,” a senior PPP leader told The Express Tribune while referring to the meeting's deliberation.

There are reports of differences between Bilawal and his father Zardari over running the party matters, but both leaders, as well as their party, have rebutted it terming these reports as hype being created by the media.

When contacted, PPP Secretary General Sindh Chapter Waqar Mehdi said Bilawal may return to Pakistan before Bhutto’s death anniversary, but he has not yet announced a decision to this effect.

Read: Disgruntled PPP leadership departs for London to meet Bilawal

Though the PPP council meeting was held for finalising preparations for the April 4 event, it turned into complaint cell with participants expressing their grievances against ministers and MPAs of their areas for totally ignoring them.

The chief minister assured them that their problems will be resolved.

“During the death anniversary, party leaders and workers will be given a message to complete homework for local government elections which are due to be held on September 20,” Waqar Mehdi said, adding that PPP would actively participate in the polls in Sindh and other provinces.

Read: 9 alternative career options for Bilawal Bhutto

“The party leaders have been given a clear message to remain in their constituencies, establish contacts with local people, and re-organise the party at the grassroots level,” he said.

On the other hand, a handout issued by the party said the meeting paid rich tribute to Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto for rendering scarifies for democracy, and appreciated the efforts made by Zardari for furthering the reconciliation policy of Benazir, and strengthening the party.

PPP forms committees for LB polls

The PPP on Saturday said it has formed committees for the forthcoming local bodies’ polls in the country.

Spokesperson Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the committees have been set up after party co-chairman met with party cadres from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Saturday and directed the party to gear itself for the local bodies’ elections.

He said that the committees will head hunt potential candidates for the local elections and also assist the provincial cadres in drawing up election strategies including alliances if needed.

Initially, the committees have been set up for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, central and south Punjab. The LB polls committee for Central Punjab comprises of Raja Pervez Ashraf, Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari, Raja Riaz Ahmad, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Khurram Jahangir Wattoo, Rana Farooq Saeed and Nadeem Asghar Kaira.