LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senior Vice Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani chaired an important meeting of the long march organising committee via video link on Sunday.
The meeting reviewed in detail the implications of the long march in the context of domestic political affairs and the preparations and strategies to ensure its success.
The meeting also reviewed the final stages of preparations for the Kissan Rally to be held on January 24.
Read more: PPP’s long march will achieve its goals, claims Raja Pervez Ashraf
The meeting was attended by members of the long march organising committee former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, former Sindh chief minister Qaim Ali Shah, Anwar Saifullah Khan Member of CEC and Sadiq Umrani Member of CEC.
The long march organising committee has directed all the PPP officials, subwing officials, ticket holders and workers across the country in the light of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s instructions to play their part to make the Kissan Rally on January 24 as successful as possible.
The committee has also directed all party officials and workers across the country to speed up their activities and make the historic long March of the PPP on February 27 successful.
More over, talking to the media after a press conference along with PPP Punjab General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza, Ahsan Rizvi, Asif Raza Baig and Afnan Butt at Model Town Secretariat, Raja Pervez Ashraf on Sunday said that in-house change was the only option for strengthening the democracy and parliament in the country.
He also said positive signs were coming from opposition regarding moving a no confidence motion. He hinted that in Punjab it was easy to bring a no confidence motion against the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI)-led coalition government as the government had a thin majority in the province.
The PPP believed in bringing change only through democratic ways, he said adding that bringing no confidence was the only option.
While responding to a question, Ashraf said that the government did not hold long marches, they focused on solving the problems of the masses. He termed the statement of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi regarding holding a long march towards Karachi as childish.
He said there were bright chances that the PPP would win upcoming local bodies elections as well as general elections in 2023. Regarding the presidential system, Raja Pervez said that the government wanted to divert the attention of the people from the issues.
He said that from day one it was the stance of the PPP and former president Asif Ali Zardari that democratic institutions in the country should be strong.
On this occasion, president of Pakistan Kissan Itehad in Circle Mandi Ahmedabad, and ticket holder for the seat of chairman from Union Council 106 Mian Sardar Khan Watoo and ticket holder of PTI for the seat of chairman Union Council 116 Mian Altaf Hussain Watoo joined the party.
Read more: Is politics of long marches constructive?
Speaking on the occasion, Syed Hassan Murtaza welcomed the farmer leadership into the party fold, saying that all the sections of society would have to play their role for the development of the country. He said all should join hands against inflation and unemployment.
According to him, the PPP would carry out a countrywide tractor trolley march on Jan 24, followed by a Feb 27 long march which would prove a turning point in the politics of the country.
He also said that the tractor trolley march of Okara organised by the PPP was a big success. Farmers were not getting fertilisers and seeds, he said. He said strong agriculture was a guarantee of a strong economy.
He said the party would welcome everyone ready to join the long march, adding that the PPP would hold as many protests as required to take the country out of the crisis.
