PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is scheduled to address public meetings in different districts of Malakand division and Kurram district in connection with his party’s preparations for the second phase of local government elections.

In this connection, the first public meeting will be held at sports stadium, Upper Dir, on Monday, March 21.

The PPP chairman will address his second public meeting in Sakhakot area of Malakand district on Tuesday, March 22, and the third one in Kurram district on Friday, March 25.

However, the public meeting, which was scheduled to be held in Chitral city on Sunday, March 20, has been cancelled due to inclement weather.

Party’s provincial deputy secretary information Saleem Khan told Dawn here on Friday that Mr Bilawal wanted to visit Chitral, but the plan had been cancelled due to rains. The polling for the second phase of LG elections in 18 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be held on March 31.

“We hope that our candidates will win with a clear majority in all tehsils of Chitral,” the PPP spokesman said, adding that the workers had run a brisk campaign for their candidates. He claimed that they would manage to win the polls at least in three of the five tehsils in Upper Dir.

About the party’s position in Malakand district, he said the district was known as ‘mini Larkana’ and his party candidates would emerge successful.

Commenting on reports about internal rifts, he said the situation in Chitral was satisfactory where the workers had been following the party policy. He said the situation in other districts was also not bad.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2022