No deal made for Senate elections, opposition leader slot: Gilani

MULTAN: Leader of Opposition in the Senate Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Friday brushed aside the impression of any deal of PPP for Senate elections and leader of the opposition's slot in the Upper House of Parliament.

Talking to the media here, he said being the single largest party in the Senate, it was the right of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to nominate the opposition leader.

"The PPP has 21 senators while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has 16, so his party demanded this slot." he said. No one should object if the independent senators backed him, he added.

Gilani said the inflation and unemployment were the two major issues for the masses and the Pakistan Democratic Movement should better work together for the sake of people.

To a question, the PPP leader said the environment in the National Assembly should be conducive and matters should be settled in the advisory council before the proceedings.

To another question, he said both Makhdoom Ahmad Mahmood and Jehangir Khan Tareen were his cousins, and the plane he used belonged to the former.

He said he offered to resign as leader of the opposition in the senate during the PPP's Central Executive Committee meeting on account of show-notice to the his party and Awami National Party from the PDM, but the leadership asked him not to do so.

PPP local leader Dr Javid Siddiqi, Naeem Khan and others were als present on the occasion.

Later, he attended the Quran Khawani of the father of his friend Ejaz Hussain.