KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has summoned a meeting of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the party on April 5 to discuss resignations from assemblies
The CEC meeting will be held at 2:00 PM at Bilawal House Karachi and all senior leaders are instructed to ensure their presence. The meeting will also be attended by former president Asif Ali Zardari.
The PPP had cancelled all the gatherings including the public rally in Rawalpindi scheduled to be held on April 4 on martyrdom anniversary of its founding chairman and former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the wake of third wave of COVID-19.
According to the PPP, the party took this decision after consultation with senior party leaders who advised the party to avoid large public gatherings in wake of coronavirus situation.
The CEC will deliberate over PDM’s decision to resign from assemblies. Bilawal has directed all PPP parliamentarians to attend the meeting in person or through a video link.
The PPP has been at odds with other members of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) particularly the JUI-F and PML-N over resignations from the assemblies after its performance in the recent Senate elections.
In a PDM meeting on March 11, the PPP had shown “reservations” over linking the resignations with the long march and had sought time to hold consultations within its CEC) before informing the PDM of its decision.
On Sunday, PPP leader Sherry Rehman on Sunday has said that her party was ready to hold peaceful long march and protest against the government but doesn’t believe in the politics of resignation.
Earlier PPP Central Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira said the party position on the issue of resignations from assemblies still remains unchanged He said the party believed in a joint struggle and backed the idea of resigning from the assemblies but at an appropriate time.
He dismissed allegations that the PPP was changing its stance and said the party never wanted any division in the PDM. He said the PPP will hold negotiations with the PDM leadership after a meeting of the party’s central executive committee on April 4.
He said all political parties would have to gather on one platform to bring a change in letter and spirit. He added that alll decisions will be taken by PDM through consensus, not through majority vote.
