MULTAN: Once again Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has failed to convince its disenchanted members from South Punjab to contest the elections on the party’s tickets.
Former Federal minister Abdul Qayum Jatoi has announced he will prefer to contest the upcoming general elections as an independent candidate. Former minister for religious affairs Allama Hamid Saeed Kazmi also announced he would be contesting from NA-175 Liaquatpur as an independent candidate because he had a large number of "Murids" (Devotees) in Bahawalpur district.He said that he had his own recognition and he had no need of PPP ticket.Political sources said that PPP was facing manifold problems in convincing the contenders to get PPP tickets.
Former president Asif Ali Zardari came to convince Hamid Saeed Kazmi to accept a party ticket but returned with no success to show after a one-hour.
There is also some speculation that both Jatoi and Kazmi will join Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) due to the PPP’s weak standing in the region.
PPP is aiming to gain five National Assembly seats in the country’s largest province, according to some reports.
When asked for comment about the meeting, Kazmi told the South Punjab News that he is not some obscure personality whose should be identified as a PPP leader instead of by his own name.
Moreover, he said Asif Ali Zardari came along with Makhdoom Ahmad Mahmood to invite him to contest elections from NA-176, but he respectfully declined.
Kazmi also said it was very early to announce which party flag he will stand under after winning the elections, adding that the 2018 general elections would be a reflection for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), as national harmony was badly affected by the stance of former ruling party on the finality of Prophethood and Mumbai attacks.
