NAUDERO The central executive committee of the Pakistan People's Party, which met in the camp office of President House here on Saturday night, reposed confidence in the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari and resolved that the party would resist the trial of its late leader, Benazir Bhutto and Begum Nusrat Bhutto.
Briefing journalists, PPP information secretary Fauzia Wahab and the Sindh chief minister's adviser on information, Jamil Soomro, said that there was stiff resentment among CEC members over the issue of Swiss cases.
Ms Wahab said the PPP leaders and workers would not at any cost permit the trial of their leaders.
In replying to a question, Ms Wahab said the CEC had not decided to reopen the Z. A. Bhutto case.
She said the Swiss cases technically could not be reopened as they had been decided on merit and the Swiss attorney had stated that there was no possibility of reopening such cases.
The CEC paid tributes to the leadership of Z.A. Bhutto, saying that he had given Pakistan a unanimous constitution and reconstructed the country.
She said the CEC also praised the leadership of PPP co-chairman President Asif Ali Zardari for steering the country out of an economic crisis and resolving the matter of NFC award.
The meeting congratulated the president for evolving a consensus on the 18th amendment and termed him the symbol of federation.
The meeting appreciated the efforts of Senator Raza Rabbani and members of the constitutional committee for achieving a consensus over the draft.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, his adviser Senator Raza Rabbani, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, PPP General Secretary Jehangir Badar, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Dr Shama Khalid, Chief Minister Syed Mehdi Shah, Aitzaz Ahsan, Faryal Talpur and Farhatullah Babar attended the meeting.
Senator Dr Safdar Abbasi was conspicuous by his absence.
Waseem Shamsi adds from Sukkur
The tone for the meeting was said earlier by Federal Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kaira and PPP Information Secretary Fauzia Wahab who said that President Asif Ali Zardari enjoyed 'immunity' under the Constitution.
Talking to reporters at the Sukkur airport, Ms Wahab said the government had no intention of making a request to the Swiss government to reopen cases against President Zardari.
Mr Kaira was rather circumspect in his comments before journalists saying the Swiss attorney general had already closed the cases citing non-availability of evidence. He, however, said that Pakistan People's Party was “not afraid of such cases”.
Ms Wahab said according to international law and Pakistan's Constitution, no legal proceedings could be initiated against a head of state. She said no case could be reopened against President Zardari, adding there was not a single such example in the world.
The PPP information secretary wondered how it could be justified to write to the Swiss authorities to reopen the cases against President Zardari as both the international practice and international conventions did not permit for it.
