Poll-related political activities, deal-making get under way

PESHAWAR: With the announcement of election schedule, political activities, manipulation and making and breaking of alliances have gained momentum across the country.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari met Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Haji Ghulam Ali and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders at the Governor’s House in Peshawar on Sunday and discussed the general election and possibility of alliances with other political parties, apart from other issues.

As per sources, PPP Co-chairman Zardari particularly urged the party leaders not to form an alliance with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for the election. He stressed that decisions regarding alliances or seat adjustments with other parties would be made by the local leadership.

A number of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUIF) leaders, PPP activists and ticket holders also met the former president. Governor Ghulam Ali and Mayor Peshawar Zubair Ali presented the traditional cloak to the former president.

Meanwhile, PPP’s senior leaders also ruled out an election alliance with the PTI in KP. “We never brought under discussion alliance with PTI in our meeting with party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday,” said PPP leader former MPA Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha.

He told The News that they held an online meeting with the PPP chairman and discussed the credentials of candidates, who had applied for the party tickets, for the upcoming election.

The PPP KP parliamentary board meeting was also attended by Faryal Talpur, who is the head of PPP Women Wing.

The meeting discussed the credentials of candidates who had submitted applications for the party tickets. A PPP leader and former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, former deputy speaker of National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi, Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha and Rubina Khalid also attended the meeting.

Meanwhile, another PPP leader, Ziaullah Afridi, denied reports that former president Asif Ali Zardari visited KP to discuss differences in the party.

“There is no truth to these reports that Asif Ali Zardari came to KP to discuss differences or any issues within the party. I had invited him to the wedding ceremony of my son and he accepted it,” Ziaullah Afridi told The News.

He said he had arranged a room in his house for Asif Zardari to stay with him but security officials did not recommend it for safety concerns.

“We then requested Governor Ghulam Ali and he was pleased to host the former president in the Governor’s House. He spent the night in the president’s room in the Governor’s House and then joined us in the morning at the wedding ceremony,” said the PPP leader.

Meanwhile, former federal minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) again.

After meeting with PPPP President Asif Zardari, the religious scholar and former federal minister joined the PPP. A well-known religious scholar Ahmed Saeed Kazmi also joined the party.

President Zardari congratulated Hamid Saeed Kazmi and Ahmed Saeed Kazmi, along with others, for joining the PPP. Party Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood and Abdul Qadir Shaheen were also present.

On the other hand, Pakistan Muslim League Quaid leader Chaudhry Salik Hussain categorically denied any seat adjustment between his party and PMLN. Addressing the media, he emphasized PMLQ’s independence in its electoral pursuits. Salik Hussain asserted it was useless to accuse Nawaz Sharif of being a Ladla. “In Pakistan, there is always someone who is pampered. The accusers are being pampered and those who are accused are also being pampered,” he claimed.

Salik said it was good that Maryam Nawaz came to Gujrat but warned against relying on outdated formulas for national change, emphasizing the need for innovation.

Despite the PPP’s limited popularity in Central Punjab, Ch Salik Hussain highlighted the positive relations maintained with it. He said that there was no room for election delay and confidently predicted that the elections would proceed as scheduled.

Affirming the Muslim League-Q’s decision to contest the elections independently, the former federal minister underscored the party’s strong position in various districts, particularly Gujrat and Bahawalpur. He clarified that there have been no seat adjustment talks with any other political entity. Salik revealed the party’s aim to contest for 6-7 National and 12-14 provincial assembly seats.

The former minister said the PMLQ’s influence extends beyond traditional strongholds, with strong candidates identified in KP and Sindh. Ch Shujaat Hussain’s political legacy, characterized by fostering positive relationships, was acknowledged by Salik Hussain. He reiterated the importance of providing equal opportunities for every political party to participate in the elections.

Dispelling rumours surrounding the recent meeting of the Sharif brothers, Chaudhry Salik clarified that it was a casual gathering devoid of political discussions.

Another development was former PPP leader Sardar Latif Khosa joining the PTI on Sunday. It was confirmed at X.

Khosa also announced his joining the PTI at a press conference held in Lahore on Sunday. He said he was joining the party on the wish of PTI founder Imran Khan. He said his primary responsibility was towards the motherland, arguing that the state was more than just four walls and a roof or life and property.

Khosa remarked that safeguarding the Constitution was the duty of those in power and providing justice was the responsibility of the judiciary. He accentuated that empowering the people of Pakistan was the ultimate goal of the Constitution, stating that people were the state as laid down in Article 7. He said the country’s Constitution was a civil agreement that had the characteristics of all welfare states.

Khosa said the state suffered whenever the Constitution was deviated from. He also called for ending alleged oppression of the PTI founder.

Separately, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Ameer Sirajul Haq said on Sunday there would be no solution to the country’s problems unless and until its leadership was given to grass-rooters, instead of para-shooters. He said Jamaat-e-Islami was the best option for the people in the coming elections.

Talking to youtubers and vloggers in Islamabad on Sunday, Siraj said the JI’s manifesto was the guarantee to a welfare, prosperous and peaceful state. The major three political parties, despite being in power for many times, had totally failed and disappointed the people, he said.

He said that peace, development and prosperity were the basic and constitutional rights of every Pakistani and added that while winning the coming elections, the obsolete system would be washed out.

He said they could not leave Pakistan at the mercy of two families. He also announced that the JI would not make any electoral alliance with the PMLN and PPP.

The JI chief said ending feudalism was the only solution to development of the country and added the former rulers had pushed masses into darkness every time. Instead of resolving the issues, they aggravated the already volatile situation.

Also, the central election board of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUIF) will hold a meeting on Monday to finalize its candidates for the upcoming general election. The meeting will be chaired by JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad. As per the JUIF spokesperson, final lists of the candidates would be issued after the meeting.

On the other hand, the PMLN has finalised a nine-point agenda for its campaign, sources said on Sunday. The agenda would include the following points: Government expenses will be decreased; tax reforms, increase in tax collection and broadening of tax net; immediate increase in exports; development of information and technology; decrease in gas and electricity prices; reforms in loss-making state-owned enterprises; employment opportunities for youth and women; agriculture reforms including modern methods; judicial reforms.

The PMLN is on the move before the election schedule was announced. The party has been reinforced by court acquittals, granted to Nawaz Sharif as well as the joining of multiple electables.