By Asim Shahzad
LAHORE – Governor Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has expressed confidence that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will become the next Prime Minister, guided by the vision of President Asif Ali Zardari. He lauded the PPP as a party that has always championed the rights of the people, recalling the leadership of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto as monumental in Pakistan’s history.
He made these remarks while addressing a ceremony held at a local hotel in Lahore on Saturday to celebrate the birthday of President Asif Ali Zardari. The event was attended by former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, PPP Central Punjab General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza, Faisal Mir, and a large number of senior party officials and workers.
Governor Saleem Haider Khan praised President Zardari as a resilient statesman who raised the slogan “Pakistan Khappay” during one of the nation’s most difficult times. He acknowledged Zardari’s significant role in ensuring political stability and steering the country toward progress, despite enduring 11 years of imprisonment in politically motivated cases.
He further stated that the position once held by PPP in Punjab, as entrusted by Benazir Bhutto, will be restored. The governor emphasized that by empowering assemblies through the abolition of Article 58(2)(b), Pakistan has been safeguarded from the imposition of martial law, ensuring the continuity of democracy.
Taking a dig at PML-N leader Uzma Bukhari, the governor said she is free to criticize him without consequence.
On the occasion, Raja Pervez Ashraf and other senior party figures also addressed the gathering and paid tribute to President Zardari’s contributions to democracy and national unity.
Separately, Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has written a formal letter to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, urging swift government action in response to the recent heavy rains and floods across various districts of Punjab.
Following his visits to flood-affected areas in Chakwal, Jhelum, and Hafizabad, the governor called on the Chief Minister to declare the affected regions as calamity-hit. He stressed the need for immediate relief and rehabilitation efforts, highlighting the destruction of homes, livestock, and infrastructure. The letter noted that broken bridges and washed-away roads have severely disrupted daily life, and urgent intervention is required to restore normalcy and assist the impacted communities.
