PESHAWAR: Claiming credit for the Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Sahibzada Sanaullah’s victory in the by-elections in PK-93, Upper Dir, PPP provincial president Khanzada Khan said that he managed to activate the disgruntled workers and thus the party won the seat.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, he said that winning of the election against a ruling coalition party in the provincial government was not so easy, but the credit also went to PPP activists who worked hard and defeated the JI candidate with a clear majority.

“Some people thought that our party had lost its position, but winning of the PK-93 seat is the live example that PPP is still alive and has roots in masses. We will win the next general elections with a thumping majority,” he claimed. He appreciated the other political parties which extended support to PPP in the elections.

Mr Khanzada was accompanied by Rahim Dad Khan and provincial secretary information Liaquat Shabab. He said that being provincial president he was making efforts to reorganise the party because Asif Ali Zardari had assigned him the task. He claimed that the reports about his replacement were incorrect.

He said that it was PPP’s credit that its workers rarely joined other parties. He said that Dir election had proved that the party was still in a strong position in the province.

“The win proves my efforts to rejuvenate and bring the dissident workers back to the party,” he said, adding that many workers of PTI and JI also backed the PPP candidate, Sanaullah Khan.

He alleged that the incumbent coalition government of the PTI and JI had spent government funds on development works during the election campaign in violation of the election rules. He said that it was tantamount to rigging the election.

He said that chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Zardari had expressed satisfaction over the election results. He said that women’s participation in the voting process was a commendable step because it was observed for the first time during the past 37 years.

Liaquat Shabab said that defeating JI candidate in its stronghold was a tough job for a candidate belonging to a party in opposition.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2015

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