LAHORE, Jan 11: Will the PPP take any action against the legislators who had won the election on its ticket but then joined hands with the PML-Q, violating the party policy?

No clear answer has been offered to the question by the relevant party leaders.

“They have set up their own faction and are no longer with us”, said a party leader, implying that no action was needed against the leaders of the breakaway faction.

Another party leader said that action would be taken in accordance with the party constitution. Notices would be issued and then the rest of the procedure would be followed.

About two dozen MNAs and MPAs, elected on PPP tickets, had set up a separate faction, P-5, under the chairmanship of Rao Sikandar Iqbal.

These legislators insist that they recognise Ms Bhutto as their leader, but their line of action is not in conformity with the party policy. Meanwhile, Punjab PPP President Qasim Zia returned to Pakistan on Saturday after holding consultations with Ms Benazir Bhutto in the UAE.

He told reporters that at his meeting with the exiled former prime minister the Senate candidates had been short-listed.

In response to a question, he said reports that he was being replaced as provincial party chief were unfounded.