LAHORE, May 5: The executive committee of the Punjab PPP on Wednesday decided to postpone staging of protest camps in the city on May 8 as a "goodwill gesture" on the return of PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif.
Briefing reporters about the decision taken by the committee, information secretary Naveed Chaudhry said it had also directed the Lahore chapter of the party to coordinate with the local PML-N leadership about participation of the PPP in the preparations to welcome Mr Sharif.
It criticized the government for amending the Political Parties Order (PPO) only to prolong its tenure. The meeting took unification of Muslim League factions and other allies in the ruling coalition as just an assembly of political personalities.
It said Gen Musharraf had lost any justification to rule the country after the murder of Chinese engineers and disclosure of the Macedonia tragedy. Earlier, parliamentary party of the PPP which met on the premises of the Punjab Assembly adopted six resolutions demanding the government to resign at once for creating chaos in the country on Gen Musharraf's uniform and other issues.
It also sought increase in workers' wages and reinstatement of forcibly retired government employees. Showing confidence in the leadership of chairperson Benazir Bhutto, it authorized her to take any decision on behalf of the party.
Seeking withdrawal of cases against Asif Zardari and others, it demanded disbanding the NAB after Gen Musharraf's "confession" that some corrupt had joined the government ranks.
The parliamentary party discussed denial of development funds to opposition MPAs as well as the current political situation. The participants were directed to collect data on performance of the party candidates in the local bodies as well as general election.
Those who had lost by a close margin in the polls would be retained while new faces would be introduced in other cases, they were told. The MPAs as well as district bodies of the party were given only a week to collect the data which would be discussed by the parliamentary party when it would meet again on May 15.
MNA Naheed Khan, who had specially attended the meeting, told reporters that Gen Musharraf instead of shedding his uniform would send assemblies packing home. About registration of the PPP with the Election Commission by the Patriots, she said the PPP would be that which was being led by Ms Bhutto.
She told a questioner that the situation was indicating that assemblies would be dissolved this year. She denied the reports that the party was engaged in striking some deal with Gen Musharraf.
