PPP leaders submit resignations to PDM as rifts widen between opposition parties

(Karachi) Leaders belonging to the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) have submitted their resignations to the head of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) after rifts between the opposition alliance deepened, local media reported.

As per details, the resignations of PPP leaders including Sherry Rehman, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and Qamar Zaman Kaira have been submitted to PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Speaking to a private TV channel, PPP leader Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said: “The PPP laid the foundation for the PDM and no political party in the PDM has the jurisdiction to remove us." He added that the 26-point charter of the PDM does not mention this.

"The PDM is not a political party but it is an alliance to dislodge the government,” he stated.

Lashing out at PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, he said the secretary general of the PDM took a “U-turn” by first calling the notice issued to PPP a show cause notice and later said that the PDM was only asking for an explanation.

“If they wanted an explanation, they could have called us and discussed the matter in a PDM meeting. We would have replied,” the PPP leader added.

The PPP's decision to part ways with the Pakistan Democratic Movement was taken by PPP’s Central Executive Committee on April 12. The PPP leaders discussed the “show-cause” notice issued by the PDM following a recent row over the elections to the Senate top slots.

The CEC meeting, which was presided over by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, rejected the “show-cause notice” issued to the party over garnering support of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) for Yousaf Raza Gilani for opposition leader in the Senate.

Earlier, the Awami National Party parted ways with the PDM owing to differences. The decision was announced by ANP leader Ameer Haider Khan Hoti during a press conference in Peshawar last week.

He said his party decided to leave the PDM owing to the show-cause notice. He added that the ANP leaders held consultations earlier and decided to break away from the opposition alliance owing to the rise in differences.

Hoti stated that PDM is being used by some parties for their 'personal agenda' and ANP cannot become a part of such a movement.