Benazir summons leaders on poor showing
KARACHI, Aug 29: Following dismal performance of candidates backed by the Pakistan People’s Party in the local body polls, party chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto has summoned the parliamentary party leader in Sindh, Nisar Khuhro, and others to Dubai to find out why her party could not even win the UC in her home constituency of Rattodero.
Nisar Khuhro, who himself hails from Larkana, would be leaving for Dubai on Tuesday morning. Munawar Abbasi, also from Larkana, was expected to proceed while Mr Khurshid Junejo, who was considered an important actor in shaping the PPP’s election strategy in Larkana, was already in the gulf state.
Sources said that Ms Bhutto was unhappy not only over rigging and strong-arm tactics used by the government before and during the polls, but also over poor performance of the candidates supported by her party. In Dubai, Ms Bhutto would examine the reasons why the PPP bigwigs fared so poorly, the sources added.
The meeting was taking place amid reports of revamping of the party in view of the possible early general elections next year.
The sources pointed out that in the home constituency of Ms Bhutto, the loss of UC Rattodero to the Sindh National Front, was being considered as a serious setback by her. Interestingly, the party-backed candidates in Larkana were in some cases opposed by the party bigwigs.
Some other PPP leaders were also expected to meet her in Dubai, probably before the next round of the ARD meeting on Sept 3 in Islamabad.