PESHAWAR: The workers of Pakistan People’s Party pledged on 62nd birthday of their late leader Benazir Bhutto here on Sunday to restore democracy in the party, rid it of the corrupt elements and force the leadership to implement its manifesto in real sense.

The birth anniversary function of the former prime minister was held at Peshawar Press Club under the auspicious of PPP city district organisation wherein Senator Rubina Khalid was chief guest. The function was ended with cutting of a cake.

PPP city president Zulfiqar Afghani, former provincial secretary information Syed Ayub Shah, People’s Youth Organisation leader Misbahuddin and Jehanzeb Khan also addressed the function.

Addressing he function, Ayub Shah said that PPP was in the grip of corrupt elements, who had nothing with the legacy and ideology of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. He asked the leaders to get the party rid of the selfish elements otherwise ideological workers would have to say goodbye to the party and join hands with Abdul Sattar Edhi.

Mr Shah said that it was result of the sacrifices of Bhutto family that the party came into powers for six times in the country. He said that PPP always fought against dictators and strengthened democracy in the country to enable the poor to rise for their rights.

In the prevailing situation, he said, PPP was in deep crisis because the corrupt people, who had looted the public wealth and neglected the workers, were holding key party offices at different levels.

Mr Shah said that both Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto knew even common workers and gave weight to everyone but the present co-chairperson of the party, Asif Ali Zardari, did not know more than 15 PPP workers in a province. “If the leadership wants to reorganise the party, it will have to appoint right man at right place otherwise the party will have to drown and the entire responsibility will rest with the leaders,” he said.

Mr Shah said that the leadership on one hand was talking about democracy but on the other hand it was not allowing democracy in the party. He said that intra-party election was the only way to unite the workers in the province.

Arrange function to mark 62nd birthday of Benazir Bhutto

“We will not follow the thieves and plunderers and will have to choose our way if serious attention was not given to reorganisation of the party,” he said. It was alarming that PPP, once the largest party in the country, was limited to interior Sindh only, he added. Shaking hands with the enemies of Bhutto was no service to the party, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Zulfiqar Afghani said that PPP always fell prey to conspiracies and secret agencies trapped its leadership in baseless cases. He said that federal ministers Khwaja Asif and Chaudhry Nisar had also spoken against military but no one reacted so seriously. He, however, said that inviting Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Asfandyar Wali Khan to an Iftar dinner by Asif Zardari was tantamount to inviting Bhutto’s enemies.

Mr Afghani said that the workers wanted Bilawal Zardari to take over as chairman and cleanse the party from the thieves and looters.

Senator Rubina Khalid said that she had always kept the leaders informed about the challenges faced by the party and suggested taking drastic steps for its reorganisation. She said that PPP did not need any external enemy because its own people were conspiring against each others.

She stressed the need for bringing the youth forward with full facilities to them so that the party could be reorganised with a new zeal. She urged the participants to get united and work hard for reorganisation of the party in their respective areas.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2015

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