LAHORE:
President Asif Ali Zardari has expressed a strong disgust for the defeat of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the partial election of Sialkot (Sambrial) PP-52, taking the senior party officials for their disappointing performance.
Zardari issued his concerns during his recent political commitments in the governor’s house in Lahore, where he also held meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other key political figures.
During his interaction with the leadership of PPP Punjab, President Zardari raised officials of the party openly for his management of the partial election campaign in PP-52, expressing concern about the continuous weak base of the party in the province.
He issued new instructions for central and provincial leadership aimed at rebuilding the strength of the party in Punjab.
Meanwhile, the Central Secretary of Punjab Information of PPP, Shahzad Saeed Chema, has clarified that there was no discussion about the partial election of Sambriales PP-52 during the recent meeting of President Asif Ali Zardari with party officials in Lahore.
He also dismissed the reports of the officials of the Castization Party of Zarari about the defeat of partial elections, claiming that the party obtained more votes than in the previous surveys.
During a meeting with the family of the late president of PPP Punjab, Sheikh Rafiq Ahmad, Zardari expressed his regret for not appointing the deceased Sheikh Rafiq as president of Pakistan, saying that the party had made that decision instead of Farooq Leghari, the party could have been saved the cristers that later endured later, and that no one would have challenged the hinge.
Central-Pubs cooperation
In a separate meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the two leaders discussed the growing tensions of Pakistan-India and the broader political panorama in the country.
According to insiders, they reached an understanding to address the concerns of the provinces and coalition partners in the next federal budget 2025–26.
The sources also revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz praised Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for effectively articulating Pakistan’s position in India in international forums, particularly in the light of the current regional strain.
