The rulling PPP on Monday reposed “full confidence” in the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani following its strong election performance which has given the government some breathing space amid standoffs with Pakistan’s judiciary and the powerful military.
The meeting of federal ministers and senior leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was chaired by Zardari and Gilani.
It decided to employ the “distinct political advantage” of being the single largest party in the Senate in the “service of democracy and welfare of the people”, presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.
It reposed “full confidence” in the leadership of Zardari and Gilani, he said.
The meeting lauded Zardari and the PPP leadership on the party’s success in the Senate polls and the government’s distinction of holding two consecutive Senate elections “despite the hurdles created by the detractors”.
It focussed on the political scenario, with “particular reference to the post-Senate elections situation”, he said. It also discussed the President’s forthcoming address to parliament, which would be Zardari’s fifth address in a row.
The PPP and its allies won a majority of the 54 seats in the Senate that went to the polls on March 2. After bagging 19 seats, the PPP became the single largest party in the Senate with 41 members.
The win came in the wake of a strong performance by the PPP in bye-polls to 10 seats in the national and provincial assemblies, giving a further boost to the party.
Observers said the PPP?s performance in the Senate elections will give much-needed breathing space to the party and Zardari following debilitating standoffs with the judiciary and the military.
The Supreme Court has kept up its pressure on the government to reopen corruption cases against Zardari.
Gilani is currently facing contempt charges for failing to act on the court’s orders.
Relations between the government and the powerful military were strained late last year by a mysterious memo that sought US help to stave off a coup in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden.
The army is opposed to Zardari and its call for a probe by the Supreme Court into the memo scandal was seen as an attempt to pressure the President to quit.
PTI