PPP Accuses Lahore Bureaucracy of Political Vendetta, Threatens Protests Over Crackdown on Party Activities
PPP Accuses Lahore Bureaucracy of Political Vendetta, Threatens Protests Over Crackdown on Party Activities
LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders have accused the Lahore administration of deliberately targeting their political activities in an alleged attempt to destabilize the coalition between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Senior party officials claim that bureaucratic institutions, including the traffic police and Lahore Development Authority (LDA), are being used to harass party workers and obstruct their membership drive, raising serious concerns about administrative bias and political interference.
-The bureaucracy of Lahore is attempting to fracture the alliance between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) by creating political instability, senior PPP leaders alleged on Thursday.
According to PPP officials, the traffic police have been forcibly removing party banners and flexes from PPP transport vehicles. Additionally, party leader Majeed Ghauri was summoned to the Deputy Commissioner's office and threatened to halt the PPP's membership drive. The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has also issued a notice demanding Rs874,000 from the PPP's Lahore office for allegedly conducting political activities.
These allegations were made by PPP leaders Faisal Mir and Majeed Ghauri during an emergency press conference held at the party's Johar Town office. They were joined by Sibt Hassan, Shahid Abbas Advocate, Irum Farooq, Aziz Abbasi, Shahbaz Durrani, and Allah Ditta Wattoo.
Addressing the media, the PPP leaders emphasized that their party is currently in alliance with the PML-N and is maintaining this partnership on the instructions of their leadership. "We want to inform Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif that the bureaucracy is conspiring against the Punjab government," they stated. "An investigation should be conducted regarding the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) of Lahore."
The leaders accused the Lahore administration of deliberately obstructing the PPP's political activities. They pointed out that PML-N offices operate in various locations across Lahore without facing similar restrictions. "The malice of the CTO and LDA is evident from the fact that they have imposed no fines or notices on 80-H Model Town," they said, highlighting what they described as discriminatory treatment.
"All of this is being done by the administration using the name of the PML-N," the PPP leaders claimed. "We do not place advertisements on any government property but on our own premises."
Issuing a stern warning, the party leaders declared, "If this campaign is not stopped within 24 hours, we will surround the offices of the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, and CTO." They also demanded that the social media accounts of the CTO's family members be investigated.
The PPP leadership called on Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to immediately suspend the Lahore administration and order a thorough investigation into the matter.
Shahid Abbas Advocate, President of the People's Lawyers Forum Lahore Division, asserted that such actions could not demoralize party workers. "As Pakistanis, we have the right to continue our political activities," he said. "Under Article 16 of the Constitution, we can display the party flag and banners on our office, house, and vehicles. Legal action will be taken against government employees involved in this political vendetta."
Sibt Hassan warned that repeated attempts were being made to obstruct the PPP's path. "The Punjab bureaucracy should wake up," he said. "If the situation does not improve, we will stage a sit-in."
The PPP's allegations have raised questions about administrative neutrality and the potential misuse of government institutions for political purposes, threatening to strain the coalition relationship between the two parties in Punjab.
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