PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party activists held several gatherings and cake-cutting ceremonies in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Wednesday to mark the 55th foundation day of the party.

On this occasion, the workers renewed their pledge of allegiance and paid tributes to the party founders and to those who had sacrificed their lives for the public welfare during the past over five decades.

In Peshawar, the main event was held at the hujra of former MPA Malik Tehmash Khan at Bakhshupul, Charsadda Road, which was attended by the office-bearers and workers of the Peshawar district cabinet and union council wards’ organisations of all the provincial constituencies.

Addressing the meeting, Tehmash Khan, Razaullah Khan Chagharmati, general secretary Khalid Khan Achar and others said that PPP was still the most popular party in the country and those who dreamed of its end were living in fool’s paradise. They said the party fought every dictatorship and raised voice for the people’s rights.

Activists pledge to fulfil mission of martyred leaders

They said that conspiracies were hatched to destroy the party and even the first Muslim woman prime minister Benazir Bhutto was martyred while the party workers and leaders endured imprisonment and violence, but their did not back down from their mission.

They said that the party was playing its active role for democracy and progress and prosperity of the country under the leadership of Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. They also criticised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and urged the former premier, Imran Khan, to avoid politics of confrontation for personal interests.

Another event was held at the PPP secretariat where some of the people belonging to minority communities joined the party. Party’s provincial president Najamuddin Khan appreciated the people and claimed that PPP would gain its strong position in near future. He also paid tribute to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and others. He vowed that the workers would fulfil the mission of their martyred leaders.

Besides, under the auspices of party’s women wing, Peshawar division, a ceremony was held where divisional president Shahnaz Shamsher and women wing’s provincial president Senator Rubina Khalid shared their views.

She said that PPP was the only voice of the voiceless people and that was why all the political forces of the right wing were active against it from the beginning.

A meeting at the hujra of Peer Mohammad in Nauthia, Peshawar, also paid tribute to the founding leaders. Another event was held at the hujra of Saeedullah Khan at Amangarh in Nowshera. Besides others, Liaquat Shabab, Peshawar division president, recalled the services of the party’s founding leaders for promotion of democracy and welfare of the poor.

In Lakki Marwat, Pakistan Peoples Party divisional general secretary Sarfaraz Khan Meenakhel said that the youth who had come under the illusion of so-called change should read the history and achievements of Peoples Party and the philosophy of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

He was speaking at a function held at divisional secretariat in Lakki Marwat on Wednesday to mark the party’s foundation day.

In Bannu, the disgruntled activists of PPP led by Malik Shoaib Khan advocate also arranged a function to mark the party’s foundation day.

In Bajaur, PPP local chapter leaders on Wednesday expressed concern over the delay in arrest of killers of two party workers and announced to launch a protest movement if the culprits were not arrested within 10 days.

The announcement was made by PPP provincial leader Akhunzada Chattan at a press conference. He said two party workers Bakht Rawan, PPP Khar tehsil president, and his nephew Tariq Aziz, secretary information of Peoples Youth Organisation were shot dead by unknown assailants in Salarzai tehsil on Saturday (Nov 26).

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2022