Federal Minister Raza Rabbani has requested the president and prime minister to remove him as a minister and chairman of parliamentary committees in case the PML-Q joined the federal cabinet. Official sources said Abdul Qayyum Jatoi, Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor and Mian Raza Rabbani had strongly criticised the PPP’s decision to give berths to the PML-Q in the federal cabinet in a party meeting a few days ago, warning that such a decision would damage the party’s repute.
President Asif Ali Zardari said he needed new friends to foil the claim of claimants of Punjab and the PML-Q joining the federal government would prove fruitful for the government. Rabbani had said in unequivocal terms that former PPP chief Benazir Bhutto had taken a clear stance against PML-Q leader Pervez Elahi in her life and the words she used for Elahi were not unknown anyone. He had said that it would not be tolerable for him to stand side by side with such people.
Therefore, he should be de-notified from the cabinet and the chairmanship of all the parliamentary committees, the sources said. He said he would remain loyal to the party and did not want to go to the media and resign publicly. All participants of the meeting, including the president and the prime minister had been surprised with what Rabbani said, the sources added.
