PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will reach Peshawar on a two-day visit on Monday (today), mainly to mobilise workers for participation in the party’s Feb 27 long march on Islamabad and review preparation for the second phase of the local government elections in the province.

The PPP chairman will meet workers and office-bearers belonging to different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in order to devise a strategy for participation of maximum number of people in his party’s long march from Karachi to Islamabad.

Besides, he will also apprise himself of the progress in the party’s reorganisation process.

Party’s Peshawar division secretary information Tariq Raheem told this correspondent that Bilawal would hold meetings with his PPP provincial cabinet members and address workers’ convention at the residence of provincial president Najamuddin Khan in Hayatabad at 2pm.

The spokesman said that the purpose of Bilawal’s visit was to mobilise the party workers for participation in the Feb 27 long march on Islamabad. He said the party had already focused its attention on mobilisation of the people by holding meetings in different districts of the province.

The party chairman will also hold a meeting with Awami National Party leadership at Bacha Khan Markaz on Monday evening. The ANP has already announced its participation in the long march on the request of the PPP leadership.

Meanwhile, PPP central deputy secretary information Faisal Karim Kundi, provincial general secretary Shuja Khan and secretary information Amjad Afridi at a press conference in Peshawar Press

Club on Sunday criticised the federal government for hefty increase in fuel prices and rising power tariff.

They said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had failed to deliver and urged Prime Minister Imran Khan to step down so that the people could elect their representatives by holding fresh elections in the country.

Referring to the hike in prices of essential commodities, they claimed that the Feb 27 PPP long march from Karachi to Islamabad would pave the way for ouster of the government. They asked PM Imran Khan to resign before the march on Islamabad.

Mr Kundi claimed that PPP would bring at least 50,000 people to Islamabad to raise voice against the government. He said the opposition was ready for no-confidence move against the government and claimed that some members of the treasury benches would also support the opposition in parliament.

He said the long march from Karachi would pass through 34 different cities of the country to reach the federal capital.

Mr Kundi also accused the federal government of suppressing the freedom of expression and said that PPP had always raised voice for rule of law and freedom of expression in the country.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2022