KARACHI, April 9: Opposition Leader in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani on Monday admitted that there had been contacts between his party and the government, but there had been no PPP deal with the government.

“The PPP is the party of the people and whenever it came into power, it will be with the people’s support,” he said while speaking at a press conference in the Sindh Assembly Building here on Monday.

He said the PPP's contacts with the government were not a new phenomenon, but it did not mean there was a serious dialogue or deal.

“The rulers are trying to create rifts among opposition parties,” he said, adding that all opposition parties were united on the agenda of ousting the present regime, return of the military to barracks, restoration of the Constitution and upholding of the supremacy of the elected house.

Criticising the retrenchments of workers, he observed that an independent judiciary was a guarantee for the protection of rights of workers.

He said about 600,000 to 700,000 workers had been sacked in the name of privatisation and rightsizing during the rule of this regime while, on the other hand, consultants were being hired by the government on big salaries.

The PPP leader noted that if independence of the judiciary was not ensured, transparent elections or safeguard of rights of labourers could not be ensured. He said the basic reason to suspend the Chief Justice of Pakistan was his verdict to annul the privatisation of the Pakistan Steel Mills.

Now the rulers were afraid that the CJP might take suo motu notice of the dubious privatisation of organisations like the PTCL, the Habib Bank, the KESC, and issues like the purchase of locomotives and boogies for the railways.

Lauding the struggle of the legal fraternity for the supremacy of the judiciary, he said the People’s Labour Bureau would fully assist them in their struggle.

He termed IRO-2002 a 'black law' and called for its repeal and framing of new laws after consultation with stakeholders.

PPP leader Taj Haider on the occasion said that after coming into power the PPP would repeal IRO-2002, remove Service Ordinance-2007, Banking Service Ordinance, MOD and all other anti-workers laws.

Opposition leader in Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said independent judiciary was a must for ensuring poll rigging. He demanded to finish contract system forthwith and increase wages of workers so that they could cope with skyrocketing inflation.

Rashid Rabbani, PPP Karachi president and MPA Rafique Engineer were also present.

—PPI