PESHAWAR: Secretary General PPP Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari on Sunday said the party would contest the forthcoming general elections on its electoral symbol and field its own candidates in all constituencies.
Addressing a public meeting held in connection with the joining of a potential electable candidate, Mian Rashid Ali Shah, his family and associates in PPP at district Nowshera on Sunday, he said that no doubt they were part of the present coalition government, but not part of any political alliance.
Others who addressed on the occasion included acting provincial president PPP KP Minister of State, Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha, president PPP Peshawar Division, Liaquat Shabab, Gohar Inqilabi, Shah Zulqarnain and Mian Rashid Ali Shah Kakakhel.
The PPP secretary general said that the party had its own manifesto, which was given by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the general elections of 1970 standing on three slogans of Roti, Kapra aur Makan that were representing the feelings of workers and deprived classes of the society.
Nayyar Hussain Bukhari accused the PTI chief of “exploiting Pakhtuns” and neither fulfilled the promise of the provision of 10 million employment nor the construction of 5 million houses.
He held the previous government of Imran Khan responsible for the prevailing price hike in the country. Mr Bukhari, who is also former Chairman Senate recalled the performance of the PPP government during the period of 2008-2013 when the country was self-sufficient in wheat production.
He said that by passing the 18th constitutional amendment, the PPP government not only increased the resources of the small provinces in the federal divisible pool rather also gave the identity to the province by renaming it as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Furthermore, he said that the then Asif Ali Zardari led PPP government had given the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award after a long time and changed the criteria for distribution of the federal divisible pool of the national resources to increase the shares of the small provinces.
He said that before the NFC Award, the criteria of the distribution of national resources was only on the basis of population, but the PPP government distributed the national resources on the basis of population, poverty and area, which increased the share of the provinces, which benefited small provinces to a larger extent.
He said that PPP as the representative of the working and middle class had increased the salaries of government employees by 150% and the pension of the retired employees by 100%.
Therefore, he urged government employees and representatives of the government to vote and expressed trust in PPP to give them an opportunity to serve the nation.
Meanwhile, potential electable candidate and active politician of district Nowshera, Mian Rashid Ali Shah Kakakhel formally joined PPP.
On this occasion, a large number of people and senior PPP leaders were also present on the occasion with Secretary General of PPP Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari as chief guest.
Mian Rashid Ali Shah Kakakhel has remained associated with PML-N and ANP in the past and had also contested the election for the National Assembly. He had remained the general secretary of PML (N) Youth Wing.
Addressing the public meeting, he said that various political parties have approached him for joining, but selected the platform of PPP to serve the people of the country and Nowshera.
He said that he has not arrived in PPP alone, rather had joined the party along with his family members and hundreds of associates including Syed Azizuddin advocate, Idrees, Asad Aman, Bawar Khan, Iftikhar Khan, Irfan Khan, Ayaz Khan Kheshgi and his other associates are also coming to join the party.
Mian Rashid Ali Shah said that under the leadership of Liaquat Shabab, they would make an all-out effort to secure its political share in district Nowshera and present it as a gift to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
