LARKANA: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali on Wednesday announced that owing to security threats, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership deferred its Thursday (April 3) meeting in Garhi Khuda Bukhsh Bhutto.
The meeting was to review and finalise arrangements made by the party for the observance of the 35th death anniversary of its founder chairman, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, on Friday.
The meeting would now be held on Friday, the chief minister said while speaking to journalists at the Bhuttos’ mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto.
Mr Shah said elaborate security arrangements had been made for the occasion. He said the decision to defer the Thursday evening meeting was taken after consulting PPP leadership of all provinces.
About the anniversary programme, he told the media that the day would dawn with the recitation of the Holy Quran at the mausoleum.
The Quran Khwani would be followed by distribution of free food, a literary sitting (mushaira) to pay poetic tribute to the slain Awami leader and speeches by the party chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, besides other key leaders, he said.
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari flew into Naudero on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the chief minister was briefed about the anniversary arrangements in Larkana by the district administration and local party leaders.
Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani, MNA Ayaz Soomro, Senior Minister for Education and Literacy Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, MPAs Khursheed Junejo, Sardar Khan Chandio and others were also present at the briefing.
Local holiday
Larkana Deputy Commissioner Gahnwer Ali Leghari has announced a local holiday on Friday on account of Z.A. Bhutto’s death anniversary.
MIRPURKHAS: The chief minister arrived Mirpurkhas late in the evening to preside over a high-level meeting of divisional and district officials.
Elected PPP representatives and PPP divisional chapter leaders also attended the meeting.
The arrangements to facilitate travel of thousands of PPP activists and supporters from Mirpurkhas to Garhi Khuda Bukhsh Bhutto were discussed at the meeting.
Earlier, the chief minister chaired a meeting of PPP Sukkur division leadership at the Circuit House to review the anniversary arrangements.
The meeting was attended by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Shah, MNAs Nawab Khan Wasan, Nafeesa Shah, Nauman Islam Shaikh, Dr Arshad Mughal and other PPP leaders.