RAWALPINDI: The PPP has intensified campaigning in the garrison city, after a lull last week due to the finalisation of party tickets.

The announcement of PPP Co-Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's visit has heightened party workers’ interest in campaigning. The party has also opened its central election offices in Shamsabad and on Khayaban-i-Sir Syed.

Party workers were of the view that the leadership should come to Rawalpindi to increase momentum or else the party would fail to achieve results.

PPP city chapter spokesperson Nasir Mir told Dawn that the party has planned Mr Bhutto Zardari’s public meetings, one of which will be held in Liaquat Bagh.

Although the dates have not been finalised, he said, the public meeting will be held in Liaquat Bagh where Benazir Bhutto gave her last speech. He added that party workers and supporters were anxiously awaiting their leader.

“In 2013, the party was forced not to campaign aggressively, but times have changed. We will not accept any restriction on the election campaign, as the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Sheikh Rashid were given extra favour to run election campaigns and the party will not leave space open for opportunists,” he said.

He said campaigning would improve in the coming days, adding that the party had given an ordinary worker a ticket for National Assembly seat in the main city area for the first time.

But party workers believed the party began campaigning in the city late, and it would take time to build momentum.

“Party banners and posters were not visible in the city last week, but the number of posters and banners increased from Sunday,” a worker from Sarafa Bazaar, Mohammad Basharat, said.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2018