Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the wake of disturbances and acts of terrorism across the country has begun to reschedule travelling programmes of its Chairperson Benazir Bhutto to save her from unforeseen incidents.
The PPP sources told Business Recorder on Tuesday that after the October 18 incident, Benazir Bhutto had realised that her opponents would not give her easy access to masses and she would not be able to address public meetings unless fully protected.
They said that the Central Executive Committee and Federal Council of the PPP would have a joint meeting on Wednesday evening at the Bilawal House. Benazir Bhutto will chair the meeting. "Security concerns will top the agenda of the meeting," they added.
They said that the blast in Rawalpindi on Tuesday morning in which seven people died and several injured carried clear message that death threat existed for the PPP Chairperson.
They said that the government had failed to provide adequate security to Benazir Bhutto and there was no respect for law and order in the country. "It is free for all. Even the security personnel are on the mercy of militants, terrorists and criminals," they added.
The PPP leaders, it is learnt, have advised Benazir Bhutto to revise her visit/tour programmes and keep in touch with her supporters through electronic and print media. "It is important to save life than risking it to serve the purpose of political opponents."
It has also been suggested to her that second and third tier leaders should visit pockets of PPP supporters and explain to them the ground realities that prevented Benazir Bhutto's frequent travelling. The PPP besides keeping "Roti, Kapra, and Makan," in the manifesto is working to include major issues such as escalation in the cost of living, increase in poverty and unemployment in the PPP election manifesto.
The purpose of redrafting of the party programme is to bring it in consonance with ground realities. After the arrival of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, party leaders have begun to restrict their statement and reactions on events for fear of her maintaining different opinion on the same issues.
Access to party leaders by mediamen has become less productive as they try to make comments without permitting their names to appear in print. However, they said that the PPP Chairperson had taken note of political development around her and the 'suspicious conduct of the Chief Ministers of Sindh and Punjab' with a view to deciding her future course of action.
They said that the representatives of the PPP and the government were engaged in negotiations on security issues and there were chances of concrete action by the government. They said that the National Reconciliation Ordinance would become meaningless if Benazir Bhutto and others were deprived of protection against acts of terrorism.
They said that the PPP still insisted that October 18 incident should be investigated by foreign experts as Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim would not let free and fair inquiry take place. They said that the PPP Chairperson wanted to take all the opposition parties into confidence on matters of national interest.
"She is prepared to go extra miles to accommodate their political interests," they added. "However, the party would not agree on issues such as amnesty to religious extremists and fanatics who prepare people to commit suicidal attack and kill people in hundreds. This is not permissible in Islam and it is not tolerated by the PPP. We do not oppose religious political parties for their existence, but for their anti-state policies," they added.
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