Multan: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) South Punjab President and former Punjab governor Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmood on Saturday directed party office-bearers to complete organisational restructuring and membership drives down to the union council level at the earliest, in preparation for the upcoming local government elections.
He was addressing a joint meeting of PPP Multan division, district and city office-bearers at a local hotel during a one-day visit to the city.
Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood said the PPP would take part in the local government elections with full preparation and make public service the centre of its politics. He said local bodies were an important means of resolving people’s problems at their doorstep, and urged party workers to start electioneering immediately.
Speaking on the South Punjab issue, he said the people of the region, the Saraiki wasib, would get their rights and a separate province would be established in line with their long-standing demand. He said the people could not be denied their political, administrative and economic rights, and the PPP would raise their voice on every forum. “The day is not far when the dream of a separate identity and province will come true,” he said.
Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood announced that workers’ conventions would soon be held in all three divisions of South Punjab – Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur – with the participation of the party’s top leadership. He said the conventions aimed at direct contact with workers, review of organisational affairs and sharpening the future political and electoral strategy.
Highlighting the economic situation, he said inflation, unemployment and economic hardships had made life difficult for the common man. He said the government and all political forces must take practical steps to provide immediate and effective relief to the people, who needed real relief, jobs and basic facilities rather than political slogans.
Earlier, on arrival in Multan, he visited the residence of PPP Multan district president and MPA Mian Kamran Abdullah Maral to condole the death of his cousin, Mian Faisal Maral. He prayed for the departed soul and expressed sympathy with the bereaved family.
He also met Junaid Saleem Raja, son of M. Saleem Raja, and offered condolences on the death of his father, praying for the departed soul.
The meeting was attended by PPP South Punjab Senior Vice President Khawaja Rizwan Alam, Chief Coordinator Abdul Qadir Shaheen, Multan Divisional President Khalid Hanif Lodhi, DG Khan Divisional President Asif Khan Dasti, Divisional General Secretary Dr Javed Siddiqui, Governor’s Coordinator and Layyah District President Malik Riaz Hussain Samtiya, Rahim Yar Khan District President and MPA Habib Gopang, Multan City President Malik Naseem Hussain Labar, District General Secretary Rao Sajid Ali, former MPAs Babu Nafees Ahmed Ansari and Usman Bhatti, and PLF South Punjab President Sheikh Ghiyas-ul-Haq, among others.
The resolve was expressed at the end of the meeting to further activate organisational activities down to the union council level, complete membership drives and make full preparations for the local government elections.