LAHORE, Feb 9: PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday launched his interaction with his Punjab party men while presiding over the maiden meeting with office-bearers and legislators of three districts, conveying them his intentions to stay in the city for an indefinite period.

President Asif Ali Zardari who, along with the PPP chairperson had earlier visited the shrine of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh to pay homage to the patron saint of Lahore, kept away from the meeting held at their Bahria Town residence.

According to PPP Lahore Division President Chaudhry Manzoor who arranged the meeting, Mr Bilawal said that during his open-ended stay here he would handle party matters and make grassroots-level contacts, giving respect to workers.

Lahore was once a citadel of PPP founding chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, which he (Bilawal) would reclaim. “Politics has not ended. It has just begun,” he was quoted as having told the presidents and general secretaries, and MNA and MPAs of Nankana, Sheikhupura and Kasur districts.

PPP Punjab President Mian Manzoor Wattoo, General-Secretary Tanvir Ashraf Kaira and Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz also were present.

According to Chaudhry Manzoor and PPP Punjab Deputy Secretary-General Usman Malik, the party chief discussed in detail constituency-wise party position and potential candidates for the next general election.

The party position in the previous elections was also discussed with a view to making improvements for the fresh contest.

Party sources said the chairperson devised electoral strategy for the three districts. The impression was that the chairperson was taking a decisive round of Punjab and would stay in Lahore till the finalisation of the election strategy. The stay could last for unspecified number of days, they said.

They said it was being considered to embrace those workers or leaders who had left the party but did not harm it. There was no room in the PPP for the deserters who had maligned it one way or the other.

Earlier, President Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari laid floral wreath and chaddar at the shrine of Data Sahib. They were accompanied by Governor Makhdoom Ahmad Mahmood, Mr Wattoo and Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira.

The PPP chairperson also attended a Quran Khwani held at the Bilawal House. Prayers were offered for the “martyrs of democracy” Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, and for the solidarity of the country.