PPPP leader’s policy remarks disappoint party workers

Staff Report

LAHORE: A seminar organized by the Pakistan People's Party-Parliamentarians (PPPP) in connection with May Day on Thursday turned out to be a source of embarrassment for its leaders and workers as one of its leaders said the party did not have any specific policy to deal with the death of its workers.

PPPP Information Secretary Naveed Chaudhry said: "If any party worker dies, there is no party policy requiring its leaders to visit the bereaved family."

He said this in the presence of PPPP Secretary General Jehangir Badr, PPPP Punjab President Qasim Zia, People's Labour Bureau President Abdul Qadir Shaheen, PPPP Sialkot leader Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas, who is also a former minister, and the leaders of other parties gathered at the Lahore Press Club for the seminar.

The controversy started when a young son of Baba Iqbal, an old PPP activist, stood up and complained that no party leaders visited his family on the death of his father. Mr Naveed took the dice and said: "I want to tell that there is no party policy binding its leaders to attend the funerals of its workers or their family members. If any leader attends funerals or visits bereaved families, he/she does so due to social values. Therefore, the complaint of Baba Iqbal's son is baseless." His remarks triggered panic amongst the PPPP leaders and workers present there. Realizing their embarrassment, Mr Abbas and Mr Badr tried to repair the damage. Mr Abbas in his address said: "Baba Iqbal was detained in the Lahore Fort along with me during Gen Zia's era. He endured lashes and there is a long list of his services and sacrifices for the party.

A separate wing should be opened in the PPPP to inform the 'late comers' in the party about the sacrifices of old workers."

Mr Badr in his speech said: "The PPPP is alive because of the sacrifices of workers like Baba Iqbal. Leaders ignoring workers lose their popularity. We should follow in the footsteps of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

He used to visit his workers in distress and his actions are the party policy for all of us."

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