PPP decides to fight back

ISLAMABAD : The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) on Saturday decided that party leaders would face National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases revived after the Supreme Court declared the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) unconstitutional.

The CEC also decided that none of the ministers facing corruption charges would resign.

Later, briefing reporters, the president's spokesman Farhatullah Babar quoted the president as saying the PPP would use "democracy and constitutionalism" as its weapons to fight its adversaries and foil all conspiracies against it.

He said the PPP co-chairman also categorically stated that the PPP would not be blackmailed into asking its ministers to resign merely on the basis of accusations against them, APP reported.

Addressing a news conference after the CEC meeting, which was chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari, party's Secretary General Jahangir Badar and Information Secretary Fauzia Wahab said the meeting concluded that the PPP believed in the rule of law and supremacy of the constitution.

They said the party reiterated that it respected institutions and "hopes that all institutions will play their role while remaining within their ambit to serve the country".

Defence: "The party decided to defend those party leaders who were politically victimised in the courts and will not leave them alone in keeping with its past policy. The party will not only strive to get justice for them but will also extend its help wherever there is injustice," they added.

Badar said the PPP could give a befitting response to its opponents but it wanted to maintain its policy of reconciliation.

To another question, he said the PPP had faced accountability in the past and it was not afraid of the process.

He said no system except democracy could be successful in Pakistan in the prevailing geo-political environment. He said we could strengthen solidarity and ensure progress of the country only through democracy.

He said PPP's CEC also demanded all written off loans should be repaid. It said the wealth looted in the name of privatisation during the previous regime should be recovered.

To a question, Badar said Benazir Bhutto had rejected the NRO and demanded the then government to wind up false cases filed against PPP leaders. He said the NRO was the brainchild of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Shaukat Aziz. He said the PPP's CEC also demanded all loans written off should be repaid.
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