LAHORE: Former president and Pakistan People’s Party-Parliamentarians chief Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday inaugurated the election office of the party’s chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in NA-127, Lahore-XI, on Wednesday.

In his address on the occasion, Mr Zardari reminded the workers of the trials and tribulations he went through during his long political journey.

“Our journey is very long; we have been doing politics for 40 years. I had sowed a mango tree (during imprisonment), besides another mango tree sown by Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the prison. The two trees are now bearing fruit and I have eaten their fruit. These are memories of the bygone days.”

He also recalled the time when he was incarcerated in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail and the workers would call on him at the time of the hearing of the cases against him.

Sharjeel accuses Punjab admin of discriminating against the PPP

Mr Zardari said the workers are always proud of their leaders who go to jail for the rights of the people.

He expressed the hope that the Jiyalas would work hard and make Bilawal Bhutto Zardari a member of the National Assembly from this constituency, paving the way for his (Bilawal’s) ascension to the prime minister’s office.

About the decision-making process in the PPP, he said, “Our system is different. We talk face to face, frankly, unlike other parties. We’re compelled by [the love of] workers [to take certain decisions].”

PPP acting Punjab president Rana Farooq Saeed said that as Asif Zardari has stepped into Punjab, the day is not far when the party would enjoy electoral success in the province.

Lahore chapter chief Aslam Gill termed it a historic day as Asif Zardari was inaugurating election office office of the party chairman in Lahore.

“Our leadership does not flee to Saudi Arabia after striking a deal [with the establishment] in difficult times,” he said in a reference to the Sharifs’ exile and stay abroad during Gen Musharraf’s regime.Faisal Mir, the party candidate for PP-161, where the election office was opened, said that he was grateful to Asif Zardari for inaugurating the office.

Meanwhile, PPP Digital Media Head Sharjeel Inam Memon has alleged that the Punjab administration is removing the party’s flags, banners and other publicity material.

Talking to the media along with Zulfiqar Ali Badr, Fayyaz Bhatti, Neelam Jabbar and Nayab Jan here on Wednesday, he said the administration was discriminating against the PPP, appealing to the chief election commissioner (CEC) to take notice.In another development, the Election Commission of Pakistan has issued Form-33 to four PPP candidates, allotting them the party’s election symbol ‘arrow’.

Those allotted the symbol are Chaudhry Atif from NA-122 (Lahore), Fayaz Bhatti from PP-163 (Lahore), Naushad Khan from PP-20 (Chakwal) and Raja Amjad Noor from PP-21 (Chakwal).

Total seven PPP candidates had been denied the party’s election symbol in Punjab. The party had written at least thrice to the CEC, besides moving the Lahore High Court, against the denial of the symbol to them.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2024