Talking to journalists after the Senate session, PPP leader Yousuf Raza Gilani said he did not expect Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to “stoop so low” and termed the foreign minister’s speech against him a “contempt of the Senate”. He lashed out at FM Qureshi, saying that he had requested to give a policy statement. “But instead of a policy statement, he started a tirade against me. The foreign minister has lowered his ethical standards without any reason. I did not expect him to stoop so low,” the PPP leader added. Gilani had on Monday announced that he had resigned as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. Gilani was among at least eight opposition senators who had skipped last Friday’s Senate session, which allowed the PTI government to narrowly manage to get the crucial State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill passed from the opposition-controlled house – a development that had raised many eyebrows. In an indirect reference to his absence from Friday’s session, Gilani said “some turncoats” were accusing him of helping the government.
“I am not astonished by the harsh words from my opponents, but I am astonished by the silence of my well-wishers,” he said. “If ministers would have said something [of this sort], it would have been an honour for me. But some turncoats are saying that I helped the government and I am saying that [the government] won because of your votes.” Hours after Gillani announced to step down from his office, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had refused to accept his resignation as the leader of the Opposition in the Senate. The PPP chairman appreciated Gilani’s services and called them a “shining example” for the democrats and said that the representatives of PPP hold themselves responsible.
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