Fida Hussnain Lahore
The Pakistan People’s Party on Saturday hinted to join the federal and provincial cabinets if it is given a ‘reasonable space’ in Punjab.
“The party leadership will be consulted for joining the provincial cabinet if the PPP is given a reasonable space,” said Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani while talking to the reporters at his residence in Lahore on Saturday.
Gillani, who is also the Senate chairman, said that the PPP wants to see Pakistan financially and politically a stable state.
The demand for expansion in Punjab comes at the first time since the party entered into the coalition with the ruling PML-N.
Gillani made it clear, “The PPP will decide joining with the federal and the provincial cabinet after seeing margin of space in Punjab,”.
He also revealed that he talked to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari about the Defamation Bill 2024. He stated that the PPP wanted the reservations of the journalists to be addressed.
Newly elected Member of the National Assembly Syed Ali Qasim Gilani, MNA Ali Qadir Gilani, Ali Musa Gilani, and Member of the Punjab Assembly and Parliamentary Leader Syed Haider Gilani were also present.
In a separate but relevant development, PPP leader Jahan Ara Watto along with Shehzad Saeed Cheema and other party leaders addressed a press conference and said that the PPP was playing its role to save the constitution and the state.
“Nothing will be there in the parliament if the PPP relinquishes its role,” said Wattoo, saying that her party did not join the cabinets so far. Shehzad Saeed Cheema said that conflict between the state institutions was quite disturbing at this time. Some institutions, he said, were crossing their limits due to which the country reached at this stage.
“The PPP had already expressed its reservations about the wheat and issue of the hoarding. The government should import the exported wheat and should think about the farmers,” said Cheema while suggesting the government authorities.
The PPP leaders also suggested that there should be no law like the Defamation Bill 2024 while Governor Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider Khan had already shared his point of view in this regard. However, they suggested to the media that they should verify the news before airing it.
Jahan Ara Wattoo said this bill is quite important but there is not only media behind spreading accusations. However, Wattoo said that the PPP’s point of view on the said bill is quite clear but all those powers who were behind defaming the state institutions must be stopped.
“President Asif Ali Zardari can play an important role this time,” said Jahan Ara Wattoo, adding that there is huge space for improvement and the PPP’s role is important.
