LAHORE, Oct 22: As the organizers gave different reasons for the ‘thin’ attendance at Monday’s Nasser Bagh rally addressed by Mian Manzoor Wattoo, PPP’s new chief for central Punjab, angry party men insist it was demonstration of ‘resentment’ in the party ranks against co-chairman’s choice.

Both Imtiaz Safdar Warriach and Azizur Rehman Chan, whom Wattoo and Tanvir Ashraf Kaira replaced as president and general secretary, were absent.

A source in the PPP said that Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Asif Hashmi who had sent workers from his Shahdara constituency to welcome Mr Wattoo at the airport, had asked them not to take part in the rally. “Mr Hashmi had clearly told Lahore PPP president Samina Ghurki that his constituency workers would only welcome Mr Wattoo at the airport,” he said.

He said there were strict instructions from President Zardari to the party office-bearers to extend full support to Mr Wattoo.

In his speech too, Mr Wattoo stressed it was important for him to get the support of workers. Knowing about groupings in the party over his selection, he mentioned about the ‘angry’ workers and said that he would try his best to win their hearts.

PPP’s Lahore leadership said the change of route, as the military police stopped the rally from entering the Cantonment area, was the major reason of thin rally.

Wattoo said he had given jobs to the PPP workers during his tenure as the Punjab chief minister and he would take care of them in future as well.