PPP not to quit assemblies, destabilise system: Kaira

DUBAI: PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira on Tuesday said his party will neither tender resignations from the assemblies nor will it let the democratic system destablise.
Addressing a press conference here, Kaira said the PPP will continue to play its role while remaining in parliament.
He admitted that the PPP’s support among the masses had dwindled in recent times.
Kaira addressed the press conference after attending a meeting chaired by former president Asif Ali Zardari.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Faryal Talpur, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Sial, Sharjeel Inam Memon and others attended the meeting.
“It is true that our support has waned at the public level; the party workers are upset and the policy of reconciliation has proved detrimental to the PPP,” Kaira said.
Kaira said the PPP would not form a coalition with any party for the upcoming local government (LG) elections in Sindh and Punjab. He said it was painful for the PPP to be declared as the supporter of terrorists by some people.
He said the PPP always fought against terrorism and all those who supported terrorism in any way should be taken to task.
He also vowed that the party would try to endure repressive actions against it and continue to struggle in parliament and the courts.
Kaira said the PPP never talked about tendering resignations or gave any deadline.
He said the PPP would continue its role while remaining in parliament. He said there should be no politics of resignations in the country.
Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said he did not want to be blamed for packing of democracy and that the government should get respect for itself as well as the institutions.
He warned the government by saying that the PPP did not want anarchy in the country.
Addressing party workers from South Punjab in a meeting at Lahore, Bilawal also announced a rebellion against corruption and warned that there would be zero tolerance for corruption whether it was within or outside the country.
He assured the party workers of accountability within the party as well as at the government level. The party leaders said they were ready to resist the government on issues concerning the masses.
Bilawal also severely condemned the violence against the medical staff protesting for their demands in Islamabad. The sources said that in Dubai meeting some of the senior party leaders suggested that resignations from the provincial assemblies, National Assembly and Senate should be tendered as a strong protest against the actions of federal Anti-Corruption bodies National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other Law Enforcing Agencies (LEAs), including Rangers.
They termed these actions ‘an attack on Sindh’ but majority rejected the advice and recommended avoiding confrontation, acting wisely and raising the issues and objections at appropriate time and forums.
The Sindh chief minister was directed to raise his voice against the actions of NAB, FIA and Rangers in Sindh.
In this regard, Syed Qaim Ali Shah will chair a high level meeting on the law and order situation in the province in the context of the National Action Plan and decisions of last Sindh Apex Committee meeting. In this regard, it was directed to Secretary Sindh Home Department, Inspector General Sindh (IG) Police and Director General (DG) Sindh Rangers to submit their progress reports in the light of the decisions of the last Apex Committee meeting.
Meanwhile, many vital and important decisions are expected in Wednesday’s high-level meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the law and order situation of the country, elimination of terrorism, corruption and terrorism financing, The News has learnt.
The meeting would be held in Islamabad on the law and order situation of the country in the context of the National Action Plan, progress of operation Zarb-e-Azab, actions of federal organisations against corruption, terrorism and financial terrorism.
The chief of the army staff, all four chief ministers and all the four chief secretaries will be a part of the said high-level meeting.
On the other hand, sources in the PPP informed The News that party leadership had directed Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah to protest and show strong reservations over the actions of federal organisations in Sindh in the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
According to these sources of ruling party of Sindh, directions were issued to CM Shah after the conclusion of the Dubai meeting of the party.