LAHORE, March 30: The PPP is not expelling defecting legislators from its ranks to strengthen its legal case to have them unseated as lawmakers, party’s provincial president said here on Saturday.

Qasim Zia, just back from the UAE after meeting Ms Benazir Bhutto, told Dawn that turncoats were no longer members of the party but they were not being removed as in that case the party would be left with no justification to seek their disqualification.

Qasim Zia said under the law the PPP was required to place defectors under suspension before seeking their disqualification. The party has met the requirement and now further proceedings would be initiated against them. He said Chairperson Benazir Bhutto had directed him not to take turncoats back in the party fold at any cost. Potential electables in their constituencies were being looked for who would be PPP’s candidates in the next elections. In case a proper rival could not be found, the seat would be left open and anybody contesting against the PPP defectors would be extended support, he explained.

Answering a question, the Punjab PPP president said his party would take part in peace rallies to be organized by NGOs. Party leaders and activists would represent the party in all such programmes. But a decision on participation in peace rallies to be sponsored by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Aml would be taken by the ARD.

In response to another question, Qasim Zia said Patriots Chairman and Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal had gone to the UAE to enquire after Begum Nusrat Bhutto. He said reports that Rao carried any government offer for the self-exiled former prime minister were baseless. “Rao is a small fry, too small for such assignments”.