ISLAMABAD
PPP Co-chairman President Asif Ali Zardari has given a “final warning” to Minister of State for Ports and Shipping Nabeel Gabol for making statements against the party policy.
“Mend your habit of violating party policies or be ready to face the music. If you don’t behave, I will make an example out of you. I will de-seat you and in your place, your servant will be given the party ticket from Layari and he will replace you in parliament,” a source quoted the angry president as telling Gabol.
The source said soon after a private TV channel aired Gabol’s statement asking for military control in Karachi on Wednesday, Zardari asked PPP Chief Whip Khursheed Shah to talk to Gabol and admonish him. According to the source, Shah could not get in touch with Gabol because his mobile phone was switched off.
The president then asked for Gabol to be immediately located and summoned to the Presidency but the officials remained unsuccessful as Gabol was in Karachi and could not be contacted, the source said. Later, Gabol called Khursheed Shah at 1:30am when he was asked to come to the federal capital immediately.
The source said took along Aqeel Karim Dhedhi, a leading businessman who contacted the Presidency and requested the president to pardon Gabol. However, the president did not meet Gabol until his dinner meeting with Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza.
During the meeting, the president summoned Gabol and gave him a final warning, asking the Sindh home minister to take him to task if he violated party policy in future. Despite repeated attempts, Gabol was not available for comments.
