GUJRAT: At a time when the Pakistan People’s Party is hoping to reclaim some of its lost ground in central Punjab after chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari visit to Gujrat and Gujranwala, its city president announced resigning from the office in protest against Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira’s “policy” of not allowing the party officials to meet the chairman at his Lalamusa residence where he spent two days.

At a hurriedly called news conference at the local press club on Saturday, Mr Rizwan Dildar said he could not face the wrath of the city chapter office-bearers who regretted being ignored during the stay of the party chairman at Mr Kaira’s residence, holding him solely responsible for it.

Alleges Kaira kept workers away from party chairman

He said since becoming president of the PPP Punjab chapter, Mr Kaira had never let the party workers and officials from the district to have a meeting with the chairman during Bilawal’s three visits to Gujrat on various occasions.

He deplored that Mr Kaira also did not arrange any meeting of the district officials with the chairman in Lahore or Islamabad due to the reasons best known to him.

He questioned Mr Kaira’s attitude towards the party office-bearers, saying how any genuine efforts for the party revival in central Punjab could be made when the provincial president was himself ensuring to keep them away from the chairman.

He said it was not the party’s culture, as workers would always get respect at the residence of Ahmad Mukhtar and Pagganwala House during the past visits of People’s Party chairmen or any other senior party leaders to the town.

He alleged that at Kaira House only the members of Kaira family, others belonging to Gujjar clan or those from the constituency of Mr Kaira were given priority at such occasions.

He said the local party workers remained present in the lawns of Kaira House the whole day on Friday and accompanied the PPP chairman to the Gujranwala rally venue, but they were not even allowed to shake hand or have a picture with the chairman.

He said under such circumstances how Chairman Bilawal could know the opinion of the workers about the efforts for PPP revival in Punjab.

Mr Dildar regretted that even former MNA Ms Sameena Fakhar Pagganwala was not allowed to meet the party chairman.

Responding to a question, he claimed that some other officials of Gujrat district were also weighing their options in protest against the Punjab president’s attitude.

He, however, said despite resigning from the city president’s office, he would remain loyal to the party.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2020