Nawaz didn't respond to my call for meeting: Zardari
12 February, 2013
LAHORE: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday said he had sent a message to Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif for a meeting to offer his condolences over the death of his brother, but he did not respond.
The PPP co-chairman, who is on a weeklong tour to Lahore, disclosed this at a meeting of his party stalwarts from Faisalabad division, who met him at the Governor's House on Monday.
The meeting was chaired by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and main participants included parliamentarians like Rana Farooq Saeed, Malik Sher Waseer, Syed Hassan Murtaza, Neelam Jabbar, Faisal Hayat Jabona, Rai Shahjahan Khan, Haji Liaqut and others.
Sources said the meeting discussed in detail seat-by-seat issues in districts of Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang and Chiniot. Insiders revealed President Zardari told his party members that he sent messages to Nawaz Sharif a couple of times for a meeting so that he could express his condolence over the death of Mian Abbas Sharif.
However, he said it was really strange that so far message had not been responded as Nawaz was either out of city or busy in some other issues. Sources said the PPP co-chairman also expressed regrets over the cold response by the PML-N president in the presence of his party stalwarts. Sources said during the meeting, some of the PPP MPAs raised objections over the seat adjustment with the ally parties in Punjab but the president was quoted as saying that all matters would be done with consultation.
Insiders also revealed that the president, while responding to complaints of some of party members against candidates who had constantly been losing elections, stated that they would be requested to let others contest polls this time. The PPP co-chairman also predicted that party would maintain its winning streak in the upcoming elections like in the past.
Sources said one of the PPP MPAs also complained that some members of the party, apparently on behalf of the party co-chairman, were contacting the party turncoats to bring them back to the party. Some of the members stated that it was conveyed to them that the party co-chairman wanted to bring back a former party member from Toba Tek Singh district, who had joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. However, the president ruled out it saying he hadn't issued any direction to anyone in this regard.
Bilawal, on the occasion, urged the party loyalists to gear up working and participate in the upcoming elections with full fervour. Meanwhile, Senator Abbas Afridi took oath as Minister for SAFRON in place of Engineer Shaukatullah, who had been appointed Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governor.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, during his visit to Governor's House, went to different parts of it and was briefed by the staff. He was flanked by Punjab Governor Makhdoom Ahmad Mehmood, his three sons - Murtaza Mehmood, Mustafa Mehmood and Ali Mehmood - as well as senior party member Tanvir Butt.
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