LAHORE, April 27: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) finally staged a rally outside the press club on Friday to protest the Supreme Court verdict against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

The PPP Lahore chapter earlier had a direction from the leadership not to hold rallies against the verdict. However, after a criticism by the PML-N and the PTI that hardly ‘a few’ people came out in support of Gilani, the PPP leadership gave a go-ahead to the provincial party chapters to stage rallies.

Participants in the rally, led by PPP’s Lahore chapter president Samina Ghurki and other office bearers, raised slogans in support of the president and the prime minister and against the PML-N leadership and the judiciary. The protesters also burnt tyres.

Samina Ghurki, speaking on the occasion, said no one had the authority to remove Gilani except the National Assembly speaker.

She said if Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who was giving a lesson of morality to the PPP, would like to resign from his post as a case was pending against him in the court.

Ms Ghurki said the prime minister had the support of its allies and the PML-N should stop giving sermons to Gilani. She said the government would file an appeal against the verdict and the opposition should wait till a decision on it.

MPA Faiza Malik said the PPP would not accept any ‘unconstitutional’ decision. She said the opposition was doing a politics on the apex court decision.

She said: “We are not afraid of any move of the opposition, and the PPP will face all such challenges bravely. We are not afraid of accountability but in the name of accountability the PPP is being victimised.” — Staff Reporter