The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is going to take disciplinary action against two party lawmakers from Multan division for announcing a forward bloc of PPP in the Punjab Assembly and the members would be served show-cause notices next week.
Malik Muhammad Abbas Rana and Doctor Muhammad Akhtar Malik on Saturday warned of defection after voicing concern over Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s working.
Rana was elected from PP-201 (Multan-VIII) on PPP ticket and Malik from PP-202 (Multan-IX). Rana on Saturday threatened the party leadership of making a forward bloc.
Talking to reporters, he said that he along with others 25 MPAs would part ways with the PPP if former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi asked them to do so.
“I would resign from the House along with 15 other MPAs if Shah Sahib orders me,” he said. The MPA added that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had stopped his development funds. Meanwhile, Doctor Muhammad Akhtar Malik accused the prime minister of dividing the party.
He said that he would be compelled to form a forward bloc along with 50 disgruntled PPP MPAs. He said Gilani was destroying the PPP, as he benefited those who wanted to divide the party.
After the news broke out of party defectors in the Punjab Assembly, the PPP parliamentary party was in a shock, as the announcement exhibited the differences within the party.
However, party sources said that informal contacts between party stalwarts were renewed and a parliamentary party meeting was scheduled to be held next week under Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
The PPP Deputy Parliamentary Leader in Punjab Assembly Shaukat Basra said the move by the legislators was unexpected, as they were attached with former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who had tried all to change the loyalties of other PPP lawmakers in Punjab Assembly, but failed.
Basra said disciplinary action against the two MPs would be taken and in the first step they would be served show-cause notice next week and then a reference against them would be forwarded to Election Commission of Pakistan.
He strongly dispelled the impression the two MPs had the support of 25 other PPP legislators who were ready to defect. He said the PPP in Punjab Assembly was completely intact and there were no chances of more defections.