LAHORE: PPP leader Faryal Talpur said on Thursday that a decision on the creation of new provinces would be taken solely by the people of the federating unit concerned.
‘The decision rests with the people of the province concerned; also it is for the residents of a province to decide whether they want a separate provincial entity or not,’ she said when asked during a media talk about the ongoing debate on creating new administrative units in the country for better governance.
Talpur, who is the PPP’s Women’s Wing central president, rejected the perception that the PML-N would focus on governance while the PPP on political issues, calling it an incorrect notion.
She invited journalists to visitTharparkar to see the development projects carried out by the PPP-led Sindh government, saying the party’s record in the province reflected its commitment to development and public welfare.
When asked whether her visit to Punjab signalled political competition with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, given that both are women leaders, Talpur flatly denied it. ‘I haven’t come to compete with anyone, but to meet [PPP] workers and leaders and strengthen the party,’ she said, adding she had been invited by the PPP’s Punjab chapter.
She said she would visit Punjab regularly to oversee party affairs, strengthen the organisation and stay in direct contact with workers.
Dismissing the perception that the PPP has grown politically weak in Punjab, she insisted that the party has a presence across the country and remains commit-ted to strengthening its position in the province.
PPP Central Punjab President Raja Pervez Ashraf, Secretary General Syed Hassan Murtaza, senior leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chaudhry Manzoor, Shehzad Saeed Cheema, Rana Jawad, Ahsan Rizvi and Ayesha Nawaz were also present during the media talk.
Meanwhile, the PPP’s People’s Secretariat in Lahore was specially decorated to welcome Talpur. Party flags and welcome banners were displayed in the party secretariat and along the road leading to the office.
Tight security arrangements were made in and around the PPP secretariat ahead of her arrival.
She has a busy schedule in Lahore, as several meetings have been planned to mobilise the party cadres, particularly its Women’s Wing, in Punjab.