Change of opposition leader: PPP challenges PTI as Imran nominates Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Central Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan had nominated Shah Mehmood Qureshi as a possible candidate for the opposition leader but the party should complete the numbers game.

Having got the majority’s support in the National Assembly for Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah, the PPP challenged the PTI to replace the opposition leader if it could. Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Imran Khan gave his approval for the party candidate for the slot of the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly. He nominated Shah Mehmood Qureshi. 

“Syed Khursheed Shah enjoys the support of the majority of opposition members and if anyone wanted to replace the opposition leader, it could do it but the opposition leader could not be changed on the personal desire of an individual,” said PPP’s Central Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira while addressing a press conference along with PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, Senator Farhatullah Babar and PPP Information Secretary Chaudhry Manzoor here on Friday outside the Zardari House after a consultation meeting of the PPP.

The meeting was chaired by PPPP President Asif Ali Zardari and was attended by Syed Khursheed Shah, PPP Central Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira, PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, Senator Farhatullah Babar and PPP Information Secretary Chaudhry Manzoor in which the PTI and MQM-P efforts to replace the opposition leader in the National Assembly were discussed.

Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the PPP was not part of leader in the National Assembly were discussed.

Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the PPP was not part of any political compromise and neither would be in the future. ”The PPP never indulged in politics of compromises as the PPP always work under the ambit of the Constitution and will continue to do so,” he said.

Referring to the recent meetings between the PTI and MQM-P, a move by the two parties to replace the incumbent opposition leader in the lower house, Kaira said there had been no greater compromise in Pakistan’s political history than the one between PTI and MQM.

The PPP leaders also expressed suspicion about MQM-P's move to be part of the initiative to remove Shah as leader of the opposition, and said the party might have been "pushed" as MQM-P had earlier voted for the prime minister and now they were now trying to replace the opposition leader.

Kaira added the party trusted Shah and that no one could get the required support over their wish.”Our allies are with us who had showed their confidence on us,” he said.

When asked about the discussion held in the party meeting, the PPP leader said that they had a strategy but they could not share their internal discussions with the media. "It is unusual for us to gather in Muharram, but it was a necessity," said the PPP leader and added that they would hold discussion whenever necessary.

Regarding Malik Riaz' visit to Nawaz Sharif, Kaira said Malik Riaz went to meet in his personal capacity and was not acting as a middleman between PPP and PML-N.

In reply to a question, Qamar Zaman Kaira said the selection of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman and caretaker government had to be made in consultation with Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition. “No name for the new NAB chairman was come under discussion in the meeting,” he said.

PPP Information Secretary Chaudhry Manzoor, commenting on the meeting between PTI and MQM-P said that it would be one of the biggest deals of political history.