South Punjab back in focus for Bilawal Bhutto

LAHORE: Realising the importance of South Punjab in the next general elections, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has finally decided on initiating a mobilisation campaign in South Punjab from September 3.

Earlier on Sunday, talking to the media, former premier and leader of the opposition in Senate Yousaf Raza Gilani had confirmed that the visit of party chairman was previously delayed due to certain reasons but this time he is coming for sure.

“By the grace of Almighty Allah, the PPP is regaining support not only in South Punjab but across the country due to its ideology, which is public-friendly,” the former premier said.

Bilawal will reach Multan on September 3 and will stay at the Peoples Secretariat Multan. On September 4, he is expected to pay a visit to former MPA Syed Nazim Hussain Shah’s house for condolence, as he breathed his last on November 30, 2020.

On September 4, Bilawal will meet lawyers, doctors, human rights activists, students, people from the business chambers, traders and other people from different walks of life.

Bilawal Bhutto will also visit houses of different party workers and devotees who lost their lives in the pandemic.

Speaking to BOL News, former chief minister and PPP leader Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa said that Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will reach Multan on September 3 and will address the convention on September 5 at his hometown Dera Ghazi Khan.

“All preparations are under way for Bilawal’s South Punjab visit and the workers were already charged to meet the party chairman, as this would be his maiden address in Dera Ghazi Khan,” Khosa said.

Dera Ghazi Khan convention is being arranged by Qaisrani and Khosa tribes and would be a significant power show, as no leader has visited DG Khan in the recent past, a party source added.

“We are expecting 15,000-20,000 people to be part of this convention,” a party source said.

A senior party source told BOL News that veteran politician and former governor Sardar Zulfikar Khan Khosa will also join PPP on former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani’s request during Bilawal’s visit to Dera Ghazi Khan.

“His sympathies are already with the party and now he will officially join PPP,” a senior party leader added.

When asked whether his father Sardar Zulfikar Khan, who is a veteran politician and head of the Khosa Tribe, will join PPP during the party chairman’s visit along with other electable, Dost Muhammad responded that his father, elder brother Sardar Saif Khan Khosa and other electables from the region will officially join PPP during PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s next visit to Lahore.

On September 6, Bilawal Bhutto will visit the house of a devoted party worker B A Jigar for condolences.

The party chairman will also address the workers convention at Kahror Pakka in Lodhran arranged by PPP’s Lodhran president Imdad Abbasi and will also address the workers convention in Mailsi.

Earlier, the party chairman was scheduled to visit Lahore, as well for 10 days in the first week of August to finalise the matters related to the PPP Central Punjab body but the the trip had to postpone due to certain reasons.

“Bilawal Bhutto must visit Lahore and Central Punjab as soon as possible and also form a new body for [the] Central Punjab,” a senior party leader told BOL News.

The sources also revealed that Bilawal had shortlisted names of former premier Raja Pervez Ashraf and Qasim Zia for the PPP central Punjab president and anyone of them could take the position.