ISLAMABAD, April 25: PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is leading his party’s election campaign for the coming general elections, is now in Dubai.

The president’s spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said on Thursday that Bilawal Bhutto left for Dubai on Wednesday and was expected to return soon.

Makhdoom Amin Fahim, a senior PPP leader, said Bilawal Bhutto would not lead the PPP’s election campaign.

Mr Fahim said he would lead the party’s election campaign in Sindh and former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf in Punjab.

Bilawal Bhutto’s departure amid electioneering is quite significant at a time when his father, President Asif Ali Zardari, is not taking part in political activities because of restrictions by courts.

Bilawal Bhutto, who has been advised not to appear in public because of security threats, did not attend an election gathering of his party in Multan on Sunday. He kicked off the PPP’s election campaign on Tuesday through a video message.

In his video message, the PPP chairman said that hindrance was being created in the way of PPP.

He said he knew that his life was in danger and people who were behind the assassination of his mother Benazir Bhutto now wanted to kill him.

In reply to a question that whether the absence of Bilalwal Bhutto and Mr Zardari from electioneering affect the PPP’s performance, Mr Babar said: “It will not make any difference because Bilawal will address party members through video whenever required during the party’s election campaign.”

ZARDARI: President Zardari held a party meeting in Karachi on Thursday in the absence of Bilawal Bhutto.

The PPP is said to be handicapped because its top leaders cannot appear in public for the party’s election campaign.

On the other hand, election campaigns of the PML-N and the Tehreek-i-Insaf are in full swing and Sharif brothers and Imran Khan are addressing public gathering regularly.

Frontline PPP leaders are not holding public meeting to counter their political opponents.

Several bomb attacks on election gatherings or candidates, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have claimed many lives.

When Bilawal Bhutto had gone abroad a few days ago some media reports had suggested that he had differences with his father over distribution of party tickets for elections. However, he had returned soon and launched the party’s election campaign.