LAHORE, Jan 7: The Pakistan People’s Party has no plans to take any disciplinary action against its two key members for publicly ‘criticising’ the party policy on certain issues.

PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar told Dawn on Wednesday it had no reports that Senator Safdar Abbasi and Naheed Khan were forming any group in the party. Therefore, there was no question of initiating any disciplinary action against them, he maintained and added that he had spoken to the couple and they had ‘cleared their position’ for their statements.

“We are a democratic party, and every one has the right to express his or her views.”

Mr Babar sees no differences in the party ranks, and statements by the couple and others are merely difference of opinion.

Naheed Khan, a close aide of Benazir Bhutto, along with her husband has been issuing ‘harsh’ statements against the party leadership for their ‘keeping a mum’ over Ms Bhutto’s murder case and other issues.

Some party leaders had taken up their harsh statements seriously and indicated that the ‘rebel’ couple might be ‘grilled’ for violating the party discipline.

Talking to Dawn Safdar Abbasi categorically maintained that he and Naheed Khan had three-point agenda for which they had been ‘pressing’ their leadership. He said their statements should not be viewed as anti-PPP as they respected President Asif Ali Zardari a lot.

“If the UN is not willing to investigate BB’s murder case the government must explore other avenues without wasting time any more.”

He was of the view that local law-enforcement agencies could be the ultimate choice.

“We have raised our voice after realising that the party workers are very much perturbed over the issue and no serious effort is being made to trace the murderers.”

The other two matters which Mr Abbasi has taken up are related to the widening of the gulf between the people and the PPP leadership in general and the workers and the leadership in particular.

“At present, the PPP workers are facing an ‘identity crisis’ as they have no practical contact with the leadership. This may damage party’s image in masses in the days to come,” he said and added that those at the helm of affairs were not taking people into confidence over the crises the country was facing.

Abbasi dispelled the impression that he and Nahid had been making efforts to form their own group in the party. “We were very vocal in the central executive committee meetings over these issues and will continue to raise voice for the betterment of the party.”