No point in resigning now: IPP leader

LAHORE:

With only a month left to the expiry of the tenure of the government, there is no point resigning from the positions of special assistant and adviser to the prime minister held by two party leader Nauman Ahmad Langrial and Aun Chaudary, a senior Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) leader said in the backdrop of the reports that two party leaders in cabinet have resigned from their positions.

A senior politician in IPP talking to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity said that the tenure of the government is coming to an end. He wondered what was the point of resigning now. Better stay put because elections in his party will be about personality vote that is more commonly referred to as electable, he added.

It will not be of any real advantage, he further said.

He also casted a shadow over any meaningful seat adjustment with any party, claiming that those candidates with real chances of winning will not withdraw from elections just because their party had said so, and such peoples in cases where parties prioritises its own interests over there's, contest elections as independent candidates.

He said that IPP is new party, and it will take time for it to develop its own vote bank, whereas right now it was all on leaders and their own popularity, and IPP is not short of popular leaders.

Optics of where IPP is on political chess board, will have no meaning here, specially

with any such symbolic resignations. He said that they have in past contested elections against powerful parties, and won, so that was nothing new for veteran politicians in IPP, though what would happen post elections are a point of concern.

Though he confessed that things were progressively getting worse with every passing election.

IPP leader Raja Yawar Kamal Khan said that he has heard of these resignations from the media and does not have any first hand information. He said that resignations were to be given after it was ordered by the party president. He added that after Aleem Khan had instructed both to resign in June, Jahangir Khan Tareen's return from London was awaited, and since now he has returned, there was no point in not resigning.

Interestingly, party sources have denied speculation of resignations, saying that both resignations have been submitted to Tareen and he will take the final decision in this regard.

Party President Aleem Khan, who earlier in June had instructed Chaudary and Langrial to resign, recently also criticised the government's economic policies. In the same programme when he was asked about resignation, Aleem said that both will soon

resign, however, other leaders then claimed that both Chaudary and Langrial were waiting for Tareen's return to Pakistan and post Tareen's return it was being said that currently he is grieving his brother's death, and will take the final decision as soon as he resumes political activities.

Where the IPP president heaped criticism on economic policies, some IPP leaders have also defended this government's economic policy handling claiming that the coalition government saved Pakistan from default.

Currently, Langrial was serving as special assistant to the premier with the status of minister of state while Chaudary was serving as adviser on sports and tourism with the status of a federal minister.

Langrial, while talking to The Express Tribune, clarified that he has only submitted his resignation to the party chairman Tareen, recently. He said that Tareen will decide when to put up these resignations.

When asked who is calling the shot in IPP, he said that Tareen is the chairman so he is the final authority.