ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party on Tuesday said that, though it has reservations on the Supreme Court’s ruling disqualifying Yousuf Raza Gilani as prime minister, it will announce its future strategy after consulting its coalition partners.

“Though we have reservations about this judgement, we will take advice from the allied parties and legal experts and will then chalk out a strategy for the future,” PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira told reporters following a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) held in at the Presidency.

President Asif Ali Zardari has also cancelled his visit to Russia in a bid to contain the domestic crisis sparked by the apex court’s disqualification of his prime minister, said his spokesman.

The president summoned coalition parties to meet later Tuesday to decide how to respond after holding emergency talks with leaders in his party.

Zardari was due to attend the June 20-22 St Petersburg International Economic Forum but would now hold talks with coalition partners “to consider the situation (at home) and formulate a course of action,” his spokesman Farhatullah Babar said.

No pardon for Gilani

Senior PPP members appealed for calm as isolated protests were held around the country, in a sign that the party was perhaps most likely to decide on electing an alternative prime minister rather than contesting the court ruling.

“The central executive committee has advised all party workers to remain calm and show patience and not to protest against the verdict,” Kaira told reporters after the emergency CEC meeting.

Asked whether the PPP was considering a presidential pardon for Gilani, the information minister said “no such suggestion is under consideration”.

PPP secretary general Jehangir Bader said the party executive committee had given Zardari “complete authority... to take any decisions after taking advice from the allied parties”.