Pakistan People's Party (PPP) stalwarts fear isolation with respect to the decision of the party President Asif Ali Zardari not to be a party to the ongoing court proceedings on Panama papers and the recent party reorganisation has not erased but exacerbate confusion, it is learnt.
Talking toBusiness Recorder on condition of anonymity, PPP insiders revealed that internal differences have reached an all time high due to absence of an active role of the leadership in the country's politics especially on the issue of Panama papers.
A majority of party workers disagree with the leadership's stance on Panama papers and acknowledge that it reflects a tacit understanding between the party Chairman and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The insistence of PPP central leadership to use parliament instead of Supreme Court with regard to Panama papers has prompted a split within the party and the differences have further increased with the recent reorganization of the party's office bearers. The four demands forwarded to the government by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari appear to have died a natural death due to the internal differences, sources further argued.
PPP president Asif Ali Zardari, who is currently in Dubai, is in discussions with his close associates with reference to reorganising the party for the upcoming general elections of 2018. "A number of options are being discussed including electoral alliance with like-minded parties", said a PPP leader privy to the development. To the party leadership, he added that the foremost objective is to remove the internal differences instead of getting aggressive on Panama papers.
When contacted, senior PPP leader Naveed Chaudhry rejected the impression that there was no any rift within the party both on the issue of Panama papers and the reorganisation of the party, adding the party still stands on its previous position that the issue of Panama papers can only be resolved through proper legislation. He said that a joint bill of the opposition parties in this regard has already been passed by the Senate. "PPP has advised PTI chairman Imran Khan not to take the Panama case to the Supreme Court but he filed a petition with the court which we think will have no desired outcome", he argued. Bilawal is returning on February 15 and he is scheduled to address a rally in Multan on March 10, 2017 in which he would also announce the future strategy, Chaudhry added.
He said that the party leadership was in contact with the rest of the opposition parties for launching a protest movement against the government, adding it was necessary that the opposition parties should come on a single platform for an effective anti-government drive.