Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani along with Raees Nabil, who had recently joined the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Monday called on party’s Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the Zardari House in Islamabad and discussed issues of caretaker setup, elections and politics in South Punjab. Meanwhile, PPP KP office-bearers, including Humayun Khan, Faisal Karim Kundi, Senator Rubina Khalid, Senator Behramand Tangi and Akhundzada Chattan also called on the PPP chairman. PPP Secretary General Farhatullah Babar, Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Jamil Ahmed Soomro and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar were also present on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Bilawal instructed office-bearers of the party to involve senior PPP workers in election campaign. He went on to say that no country could develop and prosper by mere slogans and false promises. “A country can only prosper when labourers and growers are economically empowered” In a veiled yet apparent reference to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, the PPP scion said that how a person, who had failed to deliver in KP during the last five years, could build entire country. He claimed only the PPP could guarantee prosperity of Pakhtuns. Separately, Bilawal has taken notice of manhandling of protesters, including women, outside Karachi Press Club and asked Sindh government to ensure that peaceful protests were not dealt with use of force. In a statement, the PPP chairman said that holding peaceful protests or sit-ins without disturbing the law and order was democratic right of each and every citizen and therefore it should be protected. Published in Daily Times, May 22nd 2018.