LAHORE: The PPP has begun mobilising its information wing by holding daily video-link meetings of its office-bearers across the country.

“The process began three weeks ago on the direction of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, who wants the party to claim the maximum space in the media,” Central Deputy Information Secretary Munawwar Anjum told Dawn after Tuesday’s meeting. It was hosted by Punjab Information Secretary Hassan Murtaza.

So far the media has been neglected by the PPP, which has always been complaining of the media trial of its leadership.

“Since July 7, the meeting is being held at 11am sharp daily and it is attended by central information and deputy information secretaries of both the PPP Parliamentarians and PPP, all provincial information secretaries, including of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir,” Mr Anjum said.

Two representatives of the Sindh government – usually Saeed Ghani and Nasir Shah — also attend the huddle besides other leaders invited as special guests to brief the participants on some issue, he added.

Dr Nafisa Shah chairs the sittings while Bilawal has also presided over one such meeting during his last visit to Lahore.

Responding to a query about forum’s utility, Mr Anjum said the topic of the day was discussed in the sitting that helped the participants form their line of argument(s) on the issue for representing the party’s stance during TV talk shows and other media and public interactions.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2020