PESHAWAR, Jan 12: Pakistan People’s Party leader and provincial health minister Syed Zahir Ali Shah has said that the planned long march of Dr Tahirul Qadri is meant to derail democracy.

“The long march on the federal capital just before general election is a conspiracy against democracy,” the minister said while speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Saturday. On this occasion, a number of people, led by former nazim of Ander Shehr union council Abdul Hakeem resigned from Awami National Party and joined the PPP.

Referring to Qadri’s long march, the minister said that it was astonishing that a man having dual citizenship emerged all of a sudden and started anti-democracy campaign for postponement of coming general election in the country.

“He is talking about reforms before election, but does not bother to have consultations with the government and Election Commission of Pakistan, and this is why we are unable to understand his political manifesto,” Mr Shah said.

He said that the government was determined to hold general election in the country within next few months and in such a situation the long march was a question mark. He warned that movement of people could lead to disruption of law and order situation.

However, the health minister said that anti-polio campaigns would be continued in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as security had been provided to the polio teams. He said that women vaccinators would also take part in the campaign across the province.

He said that the five-year performance of all the PPP leaders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be made public soon. He denied violation of merit in appointments in the health department.

Earlier, a local ANP leader Abdul Hakeem formally joined the PPP. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the PPP was the only party in the country that knew about solution of people’s problems. He said that he was impressed by the sacrifices of top PPP leadership and its workers.

The former UC nazim pledged that he would remain loyal to the PPP and its leadership and follow the party manifesto.

PPP provincial coordination secretary Ayub Shah, Peshawar city president Zulfiqar Afghani and others were also present on the occasion.