KARACHI, May 6: The Pakistan Peoples Party is avoiding to stage big rallies in the national interest and concentrating on its constituency-based election campaign by the party candidates so that anti-democratic forces could not take cover of any mishap in order to postpone the general elections, said PPP Senator Mian Raza Rabbani on Monday.

He was responding to the question that despite being one of the two major political parties having roots in all the provinces why it was not organising big election rallies anywhere, particularly in Punjab where election campaign was in full swing.

“We have decided to carry out a door-to-door campaign on a constituency basis where party workers have fully geared up to mobilise PPP voters to exercise their right to vote on the day of election,” he added.

Mr Rabbani, who was talking to a group of journalists at the PPP media centre in Clifton on Monday afternoon, said that if power was transferred after the completion of its term by one elected government to another, it would prove that political parties were capable to peacefully transfer power from one civil government to the other.

He said the system of peaceful transfer of power could work and block the way for any future adventure aimed at derailing democracy if the 18th and 20th constitutional amendments were pursued at every stage.

About the present situation, the PPP leader said that the ‘establishment’ and ‘reactionary forces’ were striving to give the impression that the PPP had lost its popularity among the people but the party would once again emerge as the majority party in the country on May 11. “PPP vote bank has historically remained intact since its formation and at many places had increased, proving all predictions by the professors of doom wrong,” he added.

He said the purpose of targeting PPP, MQM and ANP leadership and their election offices was to corner the democratic, liberal and progressive parties having left leaning while right-wing parties were being provided open field to strengthen their vote bank. However, he said, the history was witness to the fact that the right-wing parties despite having support of the establishment could not stand before the power of people.

Mr Rabbani said the PPP government had resolved the longstanding issue of provincial autonomy through the 18th constitutional amendment in the constitution by which 18 departments that used to be with the federal government were devolved to the provinces. But he regretted the federal caretaker government decision about renaming the regulation division as national health services regulation and coordination division, terming it not only a violation of the 18th amendment but also beyond the mandate of the caretaker government. He said the health division had never been a federal subject.

He regretted that the vested interest bureaucracy after PPP government relinquished charge now getting dictation from the WHO and other international donor agencies to execute their design.

The PPP leader warned that if efforts were made to roll back the devolution process by the federal government, it would have serious repercussions including change of the federal territory.

He said “the party of a sportsman who has been vowing to bring about a change and revolution” remained uncommitted about the provincial autonomy in his party manifesto but repeatedly mentioned to enforce the local government system of retired general Pervez Musharraf that negated the provincial government as the district governments used to look towards federation for their funds.

Mr Rabbani said the provincial autonomy was achieved by the people after great sacrifices and they would not allow anyone to let their sacrifices go in vain. He said PPP was the only party that could guarantee the provincial autonomy.

In reply to a question, he said that after elections if required to get support to form the government, PPP’s first priority would be its former coalition partners Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Awami National Party.