September 27, 2007	Thursday	Ramazan 14, 1428

BAHAWALPUR, Sept 26: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Punjab President Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi has confirmed the contacts of Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi with the PPP leadership.

Talking to reporters at an iftar on Wednesday, Mr Qureshi said the Nawab, an influential political figure of Bahawalpur, had met PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto in London last month and offered his support to the party. Ms Bhutto, he added, had welcomed Abbasi’s offer.

He said if ruling party’s MNA Farooq Azam Malik applied for a PPP ticket, the party would consider it. He said that turncoats would not be accepted in the party. He said the PPP had several options on the presidential election, adding that the party would take a final decision after Supreme Court’s verdict on the president’s dual offices.

Addressing the party workers, he said elaborate arrangements would be made for the warm welcome of Ms Bhutto in Karachi on Oct 18. He said Ms Bhutto was returning home with a new vision. He claimed the Oct 18 would be a greater show than the 1986 reception of Ms Bhutto in Lahore.

He asked the workers to hoist party flags on their homes to show their identity and strength. He said Ms Bhutto would enter Punjab from south Punjab. He said if the PPP got power, it would remove the deprivation of south Punjab. PPP district president Riaz Dahar also addressed the meeting. Mr Qureshi was accorded warm welcome on his arrival here.