Gilani resigns as SVP of PPP over polls defeat

Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has resigned from the slot of PPP senior vice president after the party’s shocking defeat in the May 11 general elections.

Addressing an urgently-called press conference at Multan Press Club on Monday Gilani said he accepted “the responsibility of poor party showing in Multan”.

He said all political parties were part of the government, but only the PPP was subjected to criticism.

He said he would continue working as an ordinary PPP worker as his resignation was not on the basis of any differences.

Gilani said the poor performance of the party and appalling election results had nothing to do with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. “These factors should not affect Bilawal’s political future,” he said.

To a question, Gilani said demanding resignation from President Asif Ali Zardari was not appropriate as he was the head of state and secondly he was not the PPP chief.

Gilani said the PPP emerged as the second-biggest party in the elections and it would play the role of an effective opposition. “We would praise good works of the PML-N government, but severely criticise the blunders and bad deeds,” he added.

To another query, the PPP leader said the party had no opportunity to run its election campaign, it could not hold large public rallies due to security threats.

“Just two days before the polls, my son was kidnapped,” he said.

Gilani added that in 2008, the main objective of the PPP was to doff the uniform off Pervez Musharraf. “At that time, Nawaz Sharif was not interested in contesting polls, but it was only Benazir Bhutto who convinced him to take part in the elections. After the martyrdom of BB, he once again refused but then Zardari persuade him to contest elections,” Gilani added.