LAHORE: The PPP Parliamentary Party in the Punjab Assembly today [April 26] left the question of selection of the Provincial Chief Minister exclusively to Chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto “reposing full confidence in his leadership”. The party meeting attended by about 120 members in a House of 186 was held at the Governor’s House with President Bhutto in the chair. At the very outset, Mr Bhutto said he had invited them to express their views over the election of the Chief Minister. A member reportedly rose in his seat and proposed the name of Mr Meraj Khalid. Another member, however, suggested that the President enjoyed the full confidence of members and hence should take a decision to avert any division in the ranks of the party.

[Meanwhile, as reported by the newspaper’s special representative from Murree,] Emissaries of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and President Bhutto began their much-awaited meeting here this morning [April 27] on a hopeful note and adjourned for the day ... after three and a half hours’ talks — spreading over two sessions — amidst conflicting speculations about progress. A joint statement issued later to the Press said there was unanimity of views between the two sides on the need for the establishment of a durable peace in the subcontinent.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2022