PPP CEC puts its weight behind Asif Zardari

ISLAMABAD: The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has endorsed the party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s yesterday’s no-holds-barred speech that drew severe criticism from PML-N-led central government.

The meeting of PPP's CEC headed by party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was held here on Wednesday.

The CEC has mandated chairman and co-chairman to hold talks with the government and decided to contact the political leadership of the country over the situation emerging after Zardari's fiery speech.

Bilawal Bhutto says:

Party's young chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while talking to newsmen later said the mandate of his party was always stolen, adding that people would never betray the martyrs - Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

Bilawal said nothing can keep him away from the people and he would go to every party of the country to strengthen the PPP.

Chaudhry Mukhtar:

PPP heavyweight Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar said neither did his party leaders retract from their statements in the past nor they have any intention to do so this time around.

He downplayed the current situation by saying that similar statements had also been made by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto in the past when they were alive.

"We have assured party Co-chairman to stand his ground if he wants to put up a fight and he would find the rest of the party by his side", Mukhtar said.

Farhatullah Babar:

Another PPP leader, Farhatullah Babar, talking to newsmen criticised media and said a part of Asif Zardari's speech was unnecessarily made the topic of discussion.

"The Operation Zarb-e-Azb has successfully achieved its goals after completion of one year", Babar said

He said the PPP will move forward with the decision of three-party alliance in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

"The party has been dissolved in Gilgit-Baltistan and it’s reorganization will be undertaken soon", Babar told reporters.

He advised all the institutions to work within the constitutional parameters, stressing that the National Action Plan should be fully implemented.

The PPP leader also paid tribute to those soldiers of the motherland who rendered sacrifices during operation Zarb-e-Azb.

He said the meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari was expected earlier today but upon his arrival in Bilawal House he came to know the meeting has been put on hold.

Babar said Zardari pursued the philosophy of reconciliation in the past and he does not intend to change it.