PPP decides to continue with PDM without resigning from assemblies

PPP not to allow PML-N, JUI-F to hijack opposition alliance / Gillani’s offer to resign as Senate opposition leader rejected

KARACHI: Central Executive Committee (CEC), the top decision-making body of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Sunday decided to continue its association with the opposition alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), and said that it would neither part ways with the opposition alliance nor it would tender resignations from the assemblies.

Well-informed sources in the PPP told Pakistan Today that the CEC jointly chaired by Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari at Bilawal House decided that rather than parting ways from the PDM, the party would expose those who wanted to break the PDM.

“As a mainstream opposition party, the PPP will not allow the PML-N and JUI-F to hijack the PDM. The PPP is part and parcel of the PDM, and it would remain in control of the opposition alliance. Why allow the PML-N and JUI-F while the PPP is the main force of the PDM,” the sources said and added that if the PPP is out of the PDM, negative forces would hijack the opposition alliance.

According to sources, Zardari attended the CEC meeting via video-link due to his ailment. The meeting discussed the PDM’s proposal for resignations from the assemblies, as well as future opposition strategies.

According to sources, the CEC also discussed the show-cause notice issued by the PDM and Bilawal read out the notice issued by Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

“Bilawal tore up the show cause notice and threw it in a trash bin. The participants applauded when Bilawal tore the notice. Bilawal said that politics is for sake of honour and nothing more than honor. Bilawal said that the PPP joined PDM on the basis of equality. There is no way to dictate us. We are not accountable to anyone in the PDM,” the sources said.

The sources said that in a bid to mend cracks in the ranks of the PDM, PPP senior leader Yousaf Raza Gillani offered to resign as the leader of the opposition in the Senate.

However, sources said, the CEC rejected his resignation offer. The meeting’s participant told the former prime minister that the entire party stood by him.

Gillani said that he was ready to tender resignation as Senate opposition leader right now if the party allows him. He maintained that the other opposition parties should avoid levelling baseless allegations on his party.

Sources said that the meeting also discussed the impact of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal on the economy and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Ordinance.

The CEC meeting discussed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI’s) “confusing policy” on Kashmir. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also briefed the meeting on the recent meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI). “Murad Ali Shah said that we will fight the case of the people in the Council of Common Interests tomorrow as per the policy given by the participants of the PPP CEC,” a source said.

Mian Abrar
Mian Abrar
The writer heads Pakistan Today's Islamabad Bureau. He has a special focus on counter-terrorism and inter-state relations in Asia, Asia Pacific and South East Asia regions. He tweets as @mian_abrar and also can be reached at [email protected]

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