March 08, 2007	Thursday	Safar 18, 1428

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LAHORE, March 7: All sitting members of Provincial and National Assemblies from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) will be fielded as party’s candidates in next elections, said Punjab PPP President Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday.

Addressing a meeting of the provincial parliamentary party at the Punjab Assembly Secretariat here, he said party nominees who had lost NA seats by a margin of 5,000 votes and provincial seats by 3,000 votes would also stay in the field. For the seats where the margin of defeat was bigger, new faces would be looked for, he said.

As ruling party leaders were issuing conflicting statements about the possibility of the general elections being postponed for a year, he said, the PPP had started efforts to find suitable candidates for constituencies where legislators elected on its tickets in the 2002 elections changed loyalties and joined the Pakistan Muslim League (PML).

This was his first meeting with provincial legislators after being appointed party’s provincial chief a few months ago as a result of policy decision to separate party and parliamentary offices. Qasim Zia who held this office for some five years and also remained the leader of the opposition was also present.

Qureshi said inactive leaders and workers would be activated to ensure a thumping majority for the party in the polls which, he said, would be more important from all previous elections because of “threats” to the country’s unity. “These elections will be a battle for the unity of the federation,” said the PPP leader, slamming the government’s policies that, according to him, had landed the country in a difficult situation.

The party’s general council will meet in Lahore on March 13 to review the situation and chart the future strategy. All MPAs have been invited to the conference to be held at Bilawal House.

Qureshi praised party leaders and legislators who resisted pressures as well as temptations and stood by the party against, what he called fascism. He singled out Zia and Aftab for praise for their courageous role in the assembly, saying the party saluted them. He said at a time when the ruling party was trying to buy or bully its opponents, those who remained steadfast would always be remembered.

Cursing those who crossed over to the other side of the political divide, the PPP leader said worthlessness of such “disloyal legislators” would be exposed in elections.

He said it was discriminatory on part of the government to refuse development funds to PPP lawmakers who were elected representatives just like their colleagues on the treasury benches.

According to him, although the government was using all kinds of tricks through the taxpayers’ money, it was still unsure of its victory in the polls.

Qureshi reiterated that PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto would return to the country during the current year and would be accorded an unprecedented welcome. He asked her to decide to land in any city of Punjab, where the PPP supporters would be present in a large number to receive her.

The PPP leader expressed concern over the new electoral rolls which did not have the names of millions of eligible voters. He urged the Election Commission of Pakistan to look into the matter.

The participants expressed their confidence in the leadership of Bhutto.

Secretary-General Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas, Qasim Zia, Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan, Farzana Raja, Raja Riaz, Imtiaz Jehanzeb Gill, Samiullah Khan, Haji Ijaz, Uzma Zahid Bukhari, Syed Hasan Murtaza and others were present.

WOMEN’S RALLY: The Lahore PPP women’s wing organised a procession from Bib Pak Daman to the Lahore Press Club on Wednesday.

Sajida Mir led the participants.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Begum Beelum Hasnain, Haji Azizur Rehman Chan, Begum Yasmin Misbah and others also participated.

In their speeches they said the women should be given their due rights.