MULTAN: Dera Ghazi Khan district president of Pakistan Peoples Party Irfanullah Khan Khosa says the district body of the party is being bypassed in connection with arrangements for the visit of party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to the district on Sept 5.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Khosa said he held a meeting with the party’s vice chair4man and former prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday at the latter’s residence and expressed his concern over the way the district body and party workers were being ignored ahead of Bilawal’s visit to the district.

“A workers’ convention is going to be held despite the fact I, the district president, am not in the loop,” he said.

Handing over the letter to Mr Gilani, Khosa recommended that Bilawal’s visit to Dera should be postponed and the district chapter should be given five days at least to give the date of his visit.

“Mr Gilani assured me that he will not only hand over my letter to the chairman on Sept 3 (today) but also arrange my meeting with him,” he said.

In his letter, Mr Khosa stated that he learnt about the chairman’s visit through social media and some unverified sources.

“On this expected visit of yours, Sardar Dost Muhammed Khosa is arranging meetings with a select few of his personal favourites,” he said.

“The district organisational body, he added, should have been handed over the charge of making all necessary arrangements for your arrival.”

The PPP chairman will reach Multan on Friday (today) evening and will stay at the Bilawal House.

Next day, he will visit the houses of those party workers who have died, including Malik Bashir Ahmad, Haidar Abbas Gardezi and former MPA Syed Nazim Hussain Shah besides attending a dinner being organised by the civil society of the city.

On Sept 5, he will visit Dera Ghazi Khan and attend the workers’ convention beside attending a dinner at the residence of former chief minister Dost Muhammad Khan Khosa.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2021