ISLAMABAD, May 25: The PPP parliamentarians from Punjab have demanded fresh elections in the country under the supervision of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP).
The demand was made at a meeting held at the party's central secretariat here on Tuesday. The meeting was presided over by the PPP president, Makhdoom Amin Fahim.
The meeting also passed several resolutions reposing full confidence in the leadership of party chairperson Benazir Bhutto. The PPP members vowed to continue struggle for a sovereign parliament and real democracy.
The meeting also demanded withdrawal of "false and fabricated" cases against Ms Bhutto and her return to the country. The PPP parliamentarians, through another resolution, called for immediate release of Asif Ali Zardari.
The meeting also reiterated its commitment to continue its struggle for the down-trodden of this country and demanded immediate withdrawal of Industrial Relations Ordinance (IRO) 2002.
In the meeting, the PPP members passed a resolution condemning rising unemployment, price hike, particularly increase in flour prices, utility bills and petrol prices as well as water shortage during this government under military umbrella.
The PPP members resolved to oppose any "illegal and unconstitutional effort" to register any party or group with the Election Commission by the name of Pakistan People's Party and warned the authority to restrain themselves from any such effort.
MMA B-team of Musharraf: The People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) secretary-general, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, has said the appointment of Maulana Fazlur Rahman as the opposition leader in the National Assembly has proved that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) is a B-team of Gen Pervez Musharraf.
Speaking at a press conference along with the ARD parliamentary secretary Izhar Amrohvi and PPP leader Malik Hakmeen Khan at the party's media centre here on Tuesday, the PPP MNA said the party had decided not to extend any kind of cooperation to the MMA inside and outside the parliament in future.
Criticizing National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain for nominating Maulana Fazlur Rahman as the opposition leader, Mr Ashraf said this step was a continuation of undemocratic acts which this regime had been committing for the past over one year. He alleged that the speaker had taken this decision after succumbing to the pressure of the government.
The PPP leader said the speaker was violating the rules and procedures and parliamentary traditions by appointing a member, who did not have the support of the majority opposition members, as the opposition leader.
He said the speaker had himself asked the MMA and the ARD to submit a list of their members supporting the candidatures of Maulana Fazl and Makhdoom Amin Fahim for this office. He said the ARD submitted a list of 80 members with their signatures while the MMA submitted a list of 68 members.
