Bilawal suspends rallies in KP

PESHAWAR: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday suspended his political activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in the wake of the terrorist attacks in KP and Balochistan. Speaking at a news conference at the residence of former PPP provincial president and candidate for PK-77 Peshawar, Syed Zahir Ali Shah, he said that hurdles were being created for his party in the election campaign and the PPP was not getting level playing field.

Flanked by his party’s former senator Farhatullah Babar, provincial president Humayun Khan and others, he however said that he would go to meet the workers in Malakand. “There would be no rallies. I would just meet the people in the constituency,” he added.

The PPP chairman said that he had been told not to move out of Peshawar Cantonment and also not hold rallies in KP.

Bilawal is contesting election from the National Assembly constituency NA-8, Malakand, and his party had chalked out programmes to hold big public meetings in Peshawar, Mardan, Malakand and Dera Ismail Khan during his visit to KP.

“How can we continue our election campaign when the people are burying the victims of terrorist attacks,” he argued. He added that his party cannot put the lives of its workers at risk by holding public meetings.

“Instead of holding public meetings and rallies, we will carry our campaigns through press conferences,” he said.

The PPP chairman said the National Action Plan, chalked out in the wake of the December 2014 attack on Army Public School in Peshawar, was not implemented in letter and spirit.

“The PPP would make an action plan against terrorism and implement it in the true sense if voted to power,” he promised.

The PPP chairman said that the ANP and Balochistan Awami Party were targeted with bombs, while the PPP leaders were also being asked to avoid election campaign. “In several areas we were obstructed. Some of my workers were asked to quit the PPP,” he alleged.

Bilawal said that despite problems, the PPP would not boycott elections. He pointed out that the PPP had always demanded timely elections in the country. He alleged that pre-poll rigging was continuing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding, their candidates were being forced to change political loyalties.

“Attempts are being made to form Islami Jamhoori Ittehad-like alliance,” he maintained. He said bureaucracy in other provinces had been reshuffled, but no such postings and transfers were carried out in KP. He demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take notice of the pre-poll rigging in the province.

He said that he is fully aware of the feelings of the relatives of the victims of Mastung tragedy and would not chant slogans to get political benefits. He announced that he would soon visit Mastung to express solidarity with the families of the victims.

Besides NA-200 Larkana and NA-246 Karachi, the PPP chairman is contesting election from NA-8 Malakand, which comprises the whole of Malakand district. He is facing former PTI MNA Junaid Akbar, MMA’s Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan and candidates from ANP and PML-N and some independents in Malakand.