LAHORE, Nov 25: The onus of putting up a much better show than the one being organised by the rebels, Nahid Khan and Safdar Abbasi, in connection with the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Foundation Day has fallen on the shoulders of newly-appointed Punjab chapter president Imtiaz Safdar Warraich.

Mr Warraich, after assuming the charge, held the maiden meeting with the party's district presidents, secretaries general and executives on Thursday, asking them to hold separate functions in their respective districts on Nov 30 and mobilise people.

The PPP Lahore chapter will hold its function at the Alhamra Arts Council. Besides Mr Warraich, Governor Salmaan Taseer, Federal Law Minister Babar Awan and provincial secretary-general Samiullah Khan will speak on the occasion.

On the other hand, the rebel couple is making frantic efforts to gather a maximum number of people from across the country at the residence of Hur Bokhari in Lahore on Nov 28 -- two days ahead of the Foundation Day. Several close associates of the couple in Punjab are contacting the workers, who often vent their anger against the party leadership for not accommodating them, to join them.

“We are in contact with many angry workers and hope that they will be with the group of Mohtarma's real PPP,” a disgruntled worker said, requesting not to be named.

At the meeting, Mr Warriach, the state minister for communication, gave a fresh hope to the workers and party office-bearers of redress of their grievances. He asked them to work hard in their constituencies so that the top leadership could consider them for awarding tickets in the local elections expected to be held early next year.

He went on to say that they (workers) could even become MNAs and MPAs but for that “they need to be among the people”.

As is the wont of politicians, he pledged to strengthen the party in the province and form its government after winning the 2013 general election besides removing grouping in the party. He believes Punjab is a field wide open for all major parties.

Mr Warraich, who hails from Gujranwala, gave the party line on the forthcoming local elections while responding to a question. “We will not make an alliance with the PML-Q in the local election,” he said.

The participants were all praise for former PPP provincial president Rana Aftab Ahmed and Samiullah Khan (who remained an acting president for six months). As some of them tried to raise the issues they were facing, the new incumbent asked them to discuss the problems with him after the forthcoming event.

State Minister Tasneem Qureishi, provincial minister Haji Ishaq, MNAs Afzal Nadeem and Chaudhry Tassaduq Hussain, Samiullah Khan and Usman Malik were among the participants.

Earlier, a good number of PPP workers received Mr Warriach at the Lahore airport.