PPP ministers not to quit

ISLAMABAD Pakistan Peoples Party leadership is firm on the single point that no federal minister nor anyone of the government functionaries, who come in the ambit of NRO, would be removed from his post and would face the charges in the courts of law while remaining in office, sources in the party informed TheNation. The sources said that at no point in any of the PPP meetings, since the handing down of verdict declaring NRO void ab initio, the matter of seeking resignations from the federal ministers or other government functionaries whose cases were revived was taken up. Some of the party leaders, who did not want to be named, also confirmed it that no minister or any government functionary was going to resign and they would contest these cases in courts keeping their current positions. The sources said that the recent meetings of the coalition partners leaders with President Zardari also meant to take them on board, as some of the ministers were also NRO tainted. The party sources said that in the Central Executive Committee meeting President Zardari, who is also Co-Chairman of the party, would take the party leadership into confidence and get their endorsement as none is going to seek his resignations or those of the party leaders who were hit by NRO. The sources further said that it was general perception in the party that elements in 'Establishment did not want to see the PPP government function and democracy taking roots and that is why they were pushing the system to instability. Pakistan Peoples Party leaders termed the cases against party leaders politically motivated and in Charter of Democracy Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had admitted these cases as politically motivated. The sources in the party further said that there was no divide among the party leadership as being reflected in press, and dispelled reports of any difference of opinion between the President and the Prime Minister, adding, on the issue both were on the same page.

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