PPP Balochistan president Raisani quits again

QUETTA: Senator Lashkari Raisani has once again resigned from the presidentship of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Balochistan chapter here on Monday.

He dispatched his resignation to the party co-chairman President Asif Ali Zardari and other party leaders, including Jehangir Badar and Senator Raza Rabbani.

He complained that the PPP had failed to observe minimum party discipline since it came to power, as he explicitly criticised ministers and other bigwigs for defying the party discipline. He however stated that he remained the provincial party chief for over five years, adding that it was an ‘honour’ granted to him by Benazir Bhutto.

Nawabzada Haji Lashkari Raisani, who is also the younger brother of Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Raisani, told media persons that the ministers considered themselves above the party discipline, questioning that if the party could not make the members accountable, then how would the system work.

He said that it was therefore impossible for him to continue holding the party position amid the indiscipline that was prevalent for the past three years.

He said that the Balochistan problem was constitutional and political in nature, adding that every party had its own agenda and projections.

He said that he had written to the party high command about it but to no avail. He also stated that he had resigned from the party position along with the Senate seat in April last year over dispute concerning government policies in Balochistan, adding that President Zardari’s previous intervention had led him to withdraw his resignation.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2010.