LAHORE: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday expressed strong resentment toward the Punjab government over the alleged withdrawal of security from Bilawal House Lahore, accusing the provincial administration of endangering the safety of its leadership, ARY News reported.
According to reports, PPP leader Jamil Manj claimed that the Punjab government had removed all security personnel from Bilawal House, saying that no police officers have been deployed at the premises for the past two days. The PPP Lahore General Secretary termed the move “politically motivated and irresponsible.”
However, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari denied the allegations, insisting that security at Bilawal House had not been withdrawn. She described the reports as “false and misleading.” Similarly, Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also rejected the claims, calling them “fabricated and baseless.”
The PPP, in response, refuted the Punjab ministers’ statements and released video footage from Bilawal House as evidence showing the absence of security personnel.
Later, according to sources, the Punjab government contacted PPP leadership and assured that security at Bilawal House would be reinstated.
Sources said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has refused to accept the reinstatement of security at Bilawal House Lahore, insisting that the party no longer requires security from the Punjab government.
The move comes following a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday night, where the two leaders also deliberated on the overall regional situation.
The prime minister briefed the president on his recent visits to Egypt and Malaysia, where he made efforts to promote peace in Gaza.
Both leaders exchanged views on key national priorities and the overall direction of the government’s policies, agreeing to continue political consultations on matters of national importance.
Also Read: PM Shehbaz meets President Zardari, reviews political, security situation
During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal and Azam Nazeer Tarar, as well as PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, were also present.
On the other hand, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Senator Sherry Rehman, and Nayyar Bukhari accompanied the president during the meeting.