SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Admitting rebellion in the PPP, Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday warned some party men against creating groupings in the party, stating, they would not succeed in their dirty game as party workers were standing with him.
Addressing the concluding session of the party’s Foundation Day at Bilawal House, Zardari also allowed the party men desirous of joining the PTI to leave the PPP at their free will.
He told the party gathering that people he had placed on important positions were now conspiring against the party by creating their own groups. “They were a nonentity 20 years back, but I brought them to prominence”, he said, adding, they would not succeed since the party workers were with him.
“End this dirty game before I come there to set the things right”, he warned, hinting thereby that the trouble makers he was referring to were in some other province and not in Punjab.
Sources in the PPP said that the party chief was alluding to existence of party groups in the KPK province where Barrister Masood Kausar was leading the campaign against the top leadership.
Zardari had made him Governor of the province during his Presidential tenure. Now there are reports that he is creating troubles for the leadership by conspiring against the party set up put in place by the party high command there.
This is for the first time that Asif Ali Zardari has come out in the open to talk about internal dissensions. On Sunday last, he revealed the presence of some ‘black sheep’ within the PPP trying to hijack the party command.
Informed party men believe that when Zardari talked about ‘black sheep’ that day, he had at the back of his mind some party men from Punjab also trying to mislead his son Bilawal through emotional blackmailing.
Zardari in his speech also came down hard on PPP men planning to join the PTI. “Whoever wants to join the party of umpire wala (an implicit reference to Imran Khan) is free to leave the party. I don’t need you”, he affirmed in an emotional tone.
Earlier, the party workers especially from FATA and KPK expressed their no-confidence over the local leadership leveling allegations of corruption and inefficiency against them.
During Tuesday’s proceedings of the Foundation Day convention, there came an embarrassing moment for the top leadership. It happened when an angry worker suddenly rose from the crowd and addressed directly to Asif Ali Zardari: Where is Bilawal? Why is he not here among the workers on this important day? All eyes focused on him, but he was silenced soon as all mikes went off and the local TV channel showing the proceedings live also went on an urgent break.
Jehangir Badar who was conducting the proceedings managed to control the situation with the active assistance of Rukhsana Bangash.
In his opening statement on the occasion, Zardari became emotional at the mention of sacrifices rendered by some party workers. “I owe a lot to those who sacrificed their lives for the party”, he uttered, adding, “Seeing your jubilation and love for the leadership, I wish to remain among you so often”.
He said he would soon visit every district and interact directly with the party workers. “Now there is no other option but to meet you people frequently”, he said.
The PPP chief lamented that he could not meet his workers during his five year stint in the Presidency.
In continuation of his tirade against PTI chief Imran Khan, the PPP leader said that present-day politics had no room for those who were relying on umpire’s finger.
Zardari criticised Imran for his earlier decision to set December 16 as the date for his protest movement as it coincided with the day of country’s dismemberment. “How could the people with little knowledge of history lead a nation? He jibed at the PTI leader.
Earlier, the PPP-P President Makhdoom Amin Fahim in his address also expressed concern over reported groupings in the party.
He impressed upon leadership to address this issue on priority basis. Enumerating his services for the party he had rendered during the times of Z.A Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, Makhdoom asked Zardari that he should not forget the veteran party men with years-long association with the party.
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