Shahid Khaqan lashes out at PPP, says Gilani's nomination caused damage to PDM

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan on Saturday slammed Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), saying the decision of PPP regarding Senate opposition leader has caused damage to the PDM struggle.

While speaking in the ARY News program ‘Sawal Ye Hai’, the PML-N leader said that Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Senate opposition leader move has dented the opposition parties’ alliance.

“It was decided in the PDM heads meeting that Senate chairman will be from PPP, deputy chairman from JUI-F and leader of the opposition in the upper house will be from PML-N,” said Khaqan, adding that PPP’s solo decision has proved Khawaja Asif’s concerns about PPP correct.

Abbasi said that resignations and long march is the only way and solution to send the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government packing. “PPP will remain no part of PDM if they will not resign from assemblies as per the decision taken in last PDM meeting.”

The former prime minister said that PML-N will not bring a no-confidence motion against Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, adding that “PPP can bring no-confidence motion in Punjab if they have required numbers.”

It is pertinent to mention here that harsh statements are given publically by the two major parties in the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance – the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) following Yousuf Raza Gilani’s nomination as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

Read More: Fazl expedites efforts to remove differences between PPP, PML-N

In order to defuse the current tense situation, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Saturday recommended summoning an urgent meeting of the heads of the 11-party opposition alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz vice president Maryam Nawaz has said that PML-N, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) and others are the real opposition parties.

However, she did not mention Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in her statement after serious differences emerged between PML-N and PPP following the election of Yousaf Raza Gilani as the opposition leader in the Senate.