Yousuf Raza Gilani's resignation 'a drama': Shah Mahmood Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has termed Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Yousuf Raza Gilani's resignation as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate a "drama", saying that the PPP leader had lied and will remain "stuck to the chair".

Addressing on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, FM Qureshi came down hard on Gilani, saying that the opposition leader is a "compromised" and "sell-out" leader.

"Do not rely on him [Gilani]," Qureshi warned members of the Senate. He wondered why the opposition could not see other experienced politicians such as PPP Senators Raza Rabbani and Sherry Rehman for the role.

On Monday, Gilani had announced that he had sent his resignation to PPP. Speaking on the floor of the Senate, he accused Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani of supporting the government, saying it was not appropriate to issue the session's agenda "in the middle of the night."

“A chairman is believed to be custodian of the house, not the government,” he said, adding that “Sanjrani should have remained neutral during the voting process”.

He further said that Senate chairman should not have voted in support of the bill. “This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that Chairman Senate has voted,” he claimed.

Bilawal refuses to accept resignation of Gilani

However, PPP's Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has refused to accept Gilani's resignation, sources told Business Recorder. Sources said that Bilawal appreciated Gilani’s statement in the House and said that Gilani had always fought for democracy and was imprisoned for serving the people.

Gilani's role as opposition leader in Senate came under the scanner after he missed Friday's crucial session that saw the government get the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) (Amendment) Bill, 2021 cleared by a margin of one vote.