ISLAMABAD - Co-Chairman Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari has snubbed his close aide and senior party leader Dr Quyoom Soomro over alleged charges of corruption, The Nation has learnt reliably.
The PPP Co-Chairman during a meeting with the party KP leaders in Zardari House last Friday took serious notice of the corruption charges against Dr Soomro and warned him that such kind of complaint would not be tolerated in future.
Sources in PPP informed that KP PPP leader Saeed Khan leveled corruption charges against Dr. Qayoom Somro during the meeting with former President Asif Ali Zardari. The meeting of the KP PPP leadership was organised with Asif Zardari by party KP Advisor to Co-Chairman Noor Alam Khan to devise a strategy with regard to upcoming Local Bodies elections in the province.
During the meeting, Saeed Khan informed the PPP co-chairman that Dr Somro had demanded Rs2.5 million for giving grade 17 job to his son during PPP's rule. He said that his son did not get the job after he refused to pay the hefty amount as bribe.  
Sources told that Asif Zardari took serious notice of the complaint and took Dr Somro to task and has also sought explanation from him. Zardari had made it clear that he would not tolerate this kind of complaint in future against any party leader.
Sources told that PPP president Sherry Rehman, former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Rukhsana Bangash and other senior PPP leaders were also present in the meeting.   
In addition, another leader of the KP Shamrooz Khan recorded his protest during the meeting against Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. Shamrooz Khan told the PPP co-chairman that party had given him ticket for Senate in 2012 elections but Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and company used their influence and took back the party ticket from him.
Sources told that KP provincial leadership met Asif Ali Zardrai in groups earlier and then the co-chairman chaired the party general meeting. Sources said that the KP PPP leaders registered several complaints against the attitude of top leaders of the PPP during the meeting.
The PPP co-chairman assured them that he would take action against those party leaders who ignored the local leadership and would resolve their issues seriously. "During the meeting, former the president discussed the strategy of KP local bodies election in detail," sources added.
When The Nation contacted Dr. Qayyum Somro for his version, he said that it was a misunderstanding on the part KP party leader. He said that  he had clarified his position before the PPP Co-Chairman. He said he was not the appointing authority then how could he demand such a huge amount for giving a job to someone.
Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardrai had already shown resentment over Dr Somooro's nomination while replacing Syed Faisal Raza Abidi in the Senate last year. The PPP chairman wanted to see senior party leader Abdul Qadir Patel in Senate but Asif Zardari awarded the Senate ticket to Dr Soomro on the request of his two close aides Dr Rehman Malik and Dr Asim Hussain.