PPP's Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar says he will quit as senator

Lawmaker says his party’s leadership unhappy with his stance on civil liberties

ISLAMABAD:

Outspoken PPP lawmaker Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar on Tuesday announced resigning as a senator on the demand of his party's leadership, which was “unhappy” over his political views on the matters related to civil liberties.

“Met a senior leader from the party today. He conveyed that the party leadership wasn’t happy with my political positions and wanted my resignation from the Senate. I gladly agreed to resign,” the PPP leader wrote on his official Twitter handle.

Met a senior leader from the party today. He conveyed that the party leadership wasn’t happy with my political positions and wanted my resignation from the senate. I gladly agreed to resign.

— Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar (@mustafa_nawazk) November 8, 2022

Khokhar added that he would submit his resignation in person to Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani on Wednesday (today).

Will be submitting my resignation in person to Chairmen Senate tomorrow, inshallah.

— Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar (@mustafa_nawazk) November 8, 2022

The PPP leader, without divulging the reasons for his resignation, said as a political worker, he cherished his right to express his opinions on matters of public interest.

He expressed his gratitude to the PPP leadership for giving him a Senate seat from Sindh.

“Differences aside, it’s been a wonderful journey with them and wish them the best,” he added.

As a political worker, I cherish my right to express my opinions on matters of public interest. Thankful to the party leadership for giving me the senate seat from Sindh. Differences aside, It’s been a wonderful journey with them and wish them the best.

— Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar (@mustafa_nawazk) November 8, 2022

It has been learnt that a parliamentarian, who is close to PPP co-chairperson and former president Asif Ali Zardari, had met with Khokhar at the latter’s residence and conveyed the party leadership’s message for his resignation from the Senate.

Two days ago, another senior party leader, who is holding a constitutional position, conveyed the PPP leadership concerns to him over his political positions.

It has also been learnt that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari expressed his ignorance over this development as he did not seek Khokhar's resignation.

Khokhar has played an exceptional inning as a senator, especially as the chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights.

As the chief of the Senate panel, he took several notices over the violation of human rights in all over the country.

He had even summoned the IG FC Balochistan in a human right matter.

Once a senior military officer had contacted Khokhar to tell him not to hold a committee meeting on missing persons.

However, he straight away declined his advice.

During the tenure of the PTI-led ggovernment, the federal capital police had registered an FIR against him on the allegation of creating obstacles in the way of Zardari’s arrest on June 10, 2019 in the fake accounts case.

Later, he managed to acquire a pre-arrest bail from a court.

Khokhar had also remained the spokesperson for Bilawal. He is among the few PPP leaders, who are close to the party chairman.

In December 2020, he had announced stepping down as Bilawal’s spokesperson but added that he was not leaving the party.

Khokhar was unhappy over the party leadership's compromises on issues related to the Constitution as well as civil liberties.

He was consistently urging it to follow the idealogical lines, which were given by PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his slain daughter, former premier Benazir Bhutto. Khokhar wanted the revival of the PPP in the province of Punjab, wherein it was necessary that the party should carry out the politics of issues.

The ‘powerful circles' were also upset on account of his activities as the chairman of the Senate human rights panel.

Subsequently, the PPP took away the slot of the Senate human rights panel chairman from him. In fact, he was excluded from the committee.

Sources close to him ruled out the possibility that he was joining any other party after his resignation as a senator.

His resignation will adversely affect the morale of the PPP in all over the country, especially in Punjab.

All segments of the society supported his stance on issues related to civil liberties.