July 27, 2008	Sunday	Rajab 23, 1429

KARACHI, July 26: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Secretary-General Jahangir Badr has categorically rejected any plans to expel any central leader, including senior vice-chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, from the party. However, Mr Badr advised Mr Fahim to express his reservations within the ranks of the PPP.

Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, Mr Badr denied the impression that the new leadership of the PPP had sidelined some old stalwarts, including Amin Fahim and Naheed Khan. “None of the party’s leaders have been sidelined and as far as Mr Fahim is concerned, he himself has preferred to keep a low profile,” he added.

He made it clear that there was no plan to expel Mr Fahim from the party, despite the fact that he was openly criticising the PPP-led government and its top leadership. “As PPP secretary-general, I understand that he (Amin Fahim) has a right to criticize the party leadership and ministers. But he should choose the right platform. I am ready to call a meeting of the Central Executive Committee, where he could express his differences.”

Reiterating his party’s stance that it never recognised Pervez Musharraf as a legitimate president, he declined to comment on any impeachment plan or the future role of the president.

On the appointment of Salman Taseer as Punjab governor, the Lahore-based politician said that the PPP had welcomed the decision, even though the power to appoint provincial governors solely rests with the president.

Mr Badr, who had lost the Feb 18 general election, said that there was no confusion between the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) – the two leading coalition partners – on the reinstatement of deposed judges. “However, there are some differences on modalities, which will be worked out soon,” he added.

Defending the PPP-led four party coalition, he blamed the previous government for most of the crises, including the law and order problem. However, he said that the ruling coalition was facing some economic challenges due to rising oil prices in the international market and the overall global economic situation, but the PPP government was taking all-out measures to deal with them.

The PPP leader welcomed the coalition parties’ decision to hold dialogue instead of launching an operation in the tribal areas to restore peace and order. He said that his party was not in favour of military action in any part of the country.

In reply to a question, he expressed ignorance about any operation being carried out in Balochistan and referred the question to the interior ministry.

He lashed out at the top leadership of the opposition PML-Q, which had recently issued a ‘white paper’ on the first 100 days of the PPP-led government, saying that it has no right to criticize as no government could clean an eight-year mess within its first 100 days in power.