KARACHI, Jan 6: Pakistan Peoples Party on Monday asked its defectors, who formed the ‘PPP Patriots’ and supported Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali’s government, to resign from the federal cabinet or any other positions they were holding in order to “prove their loyalty with Bhutto family and party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.”

A statement issued by the PPP leaders, Taj Haider, Sher Muhammad Baloch, Murad Ali Shah, Anwar Bhutto, Abdullah Murad and others, said: “They (members of PPP Patriots) should immediately quit their posts in the government if they still regard Benazir Bhutto as their leader.”

Commenting on the turncoats’ contention that they still regard Ms Bhutto as their leader, the statement said that their words did not match with their deeds as they ‘salute’ Gen Musharraf only for the sake of ministries which, the statement added, was against the ideological principles of the party.

“Ministers of the Patriot group will have to choose one way. Either they are with the government or they stand with the opposition. Besides, they will have to declare publicly that like Zia’s regime, the government of Pervez Musharraf is also subjecting Bhutto family to oppression,” it added.

The PPP leaders expressed astonishment over the impression given by the federal interior minister that he was reviewing cases against Benazir Bhutto. They advised the minister that instead of doing so, he should clarify his own position.—PPI