LAHORE: The maiden meeting of the Pakistan People Party’s ticket review committee, held online under Ms Faryal Talpur on Monday, looked into some of the reservations shown by candidates and workers over the grant of party tickets for the Punjab Assembly polls.

The party did not share the details of around four-hour-long meeting with the media.

Those who attended the huddle included former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, PPP secretary general Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, ex-governor and South Punjab chapter chief Makhdoom Ahmad Mahmood, advisor to PM Qamar Zaman Kaira, central Punjab acting president and secretary general Rana Farooq Saeed and Syed Hassan Murtaza, Mr Saeed says those having reservations regarding the award of party tickets for Punjab polls may file their appeals before Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

He says that the appeals may also be sent to the review committee members through Whatsapp by April 25 (today).

The candidates are required to submit their party tickets to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by April 26, as per the extended date, and would be allotted the symbol on the same day.

Meanwhile, the PPP has withdrawn its call for the protest scheduled for Tuesday (today) against holding of Punjab Assembly poll before the general elections.

The party insiders say the protest call was withdrawn because preparations for the demonstrations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh could not be completed.

In Lahore, a protest demonstration was scheduled to be held at the Charing Cross on The Mall in front of the Punjab Assembly and all ticket-holders, office-bearers and party wings had been directed to participate in it.

Mr Saeed says that all political parties, except one (PTI), are demanding holding of the electoral exercise across the country simultaneously and that the judiciary must pay heed to this “public demand”. Otherwise, he warns, a fresh protest call may be given to press for the demand as holding of elections simultaneously are a must for constitutional, political and democratic stability in the country.

Polls in Punjab are scheduled to be held on May 14, as per the direction of a three-judge bench of the apex court and the ECP issued the election schedule accordingly.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2023