LAHORE, Dec 8: The Pakistan People’s Party on Monday disowned Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar as he reiterated his civil-military power sharing formula to strengthen the fragile democratic institutions and grew in defiance by branding all party office-bearers, excluding Ms Benazir Bhutto, as cards, straw men. The party immediately shot back, likening him to a ‘joker’, who can be used by anyone at anytime to serve his interest.

Defending his participation in Sunday’s party convention at the Minar-i-Pakistan, the former governor said at a news conference that he would take part in all such programmes even in future, come what may.

“Mr Khar is not a member of the PPP. We allowed him to sit on the stage (on Sunday) only as a mark of respect”, provincial information secretary Naveed Chaudhry said at a separate news conference.

He said since the party workers were very furious, some PPP leaders had been deployed on the stage to serve as discreet security for the man who, according to him, jumped in and out of the party several times.

About the justification for Makhdoom Amin Fahim’s recent meeting with Mr Khar at the latter’s residence, Naveed Chaudhry said it was held purely on humanitarian grounds as the Sindhi leader wanted to inquire after the ex-governor. Makhdoom made no commitment of any kind with Mr Khar, the PPP leader clarified.

As for Mr Khar’s meeting with Ms Benazir Bhutto in London, Naveed Chaudhry claimed that it had taken place at the former’s request. However, he said since Mr Khar was adept in exploiting such meetings to his advantage, the PPP chairperson had immediately called in Makhdoom Amin Fahim to be a witness.

Lahore PPP President Mian Misbahur Rehman told a questioner that Mr Khar was a member from Muzaffargarh but he had left the party long ago.

KHAR: The former governor claimed he had gone to the convention to add his voice to the party’s and to swell the numbers. He said he had no intention to disrupt the meeting, but had addressed the workers who had stayed behind even when others had left.

Mr Khar advised the present leadership to desist from exposing their political immaturity as by doing so they would be causing a grave damage to the party and its chairperson. “And if you are doing so under someone’s instructions, it’s a lost battle”. He said if there was no room for him in the party, Ms Bhutto should personally phone him to tell this.

But when a reporter asked him if he still needed a phone call after all that was done to him at the convention in the presence of the central and provincial leaders, Mr Khar said no leader was important to him except Ms Bhutto. He used pejorative remarks for them.

When it was pointed out that prima facie he was violating the discipline by reiterating the power-sharing formula which was an irritant for the party, Mr Khar said he would not insist on it if the party and Ms Bhutto took a formal decision against it.

He declared that he would soon establish a direct contact with the workers and the masses.

The former governor demanded that Ms Benazir Bhutto, Mian Nawaz Sharif, Mian Shahbaz Sharif and Altaf Husain should be allowed to come back and Mr Asif Ali Zardari be set free. He said the process of conciliation should be started by the rulers.

Mr Khar alleged that people leaving the party were fed up with the present leadership.

He told a questioner that the turnout at Sunday’s convention had exposed the party popularity in the provincial metropolis. He claimed that he could gather half a million people on less than 10 days’ notice for a party meeting.