LAHORE, May 9: Unlike the case of Senator Safdar Abbasi and Nahid Khan, the Pakistan People's Party leadership is 'indecisive' in taking a disciplinary action against former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Sources believe that PPP Secretary-General Jehangir Badr has not been given a go ahead by party co-chairman President Asif Ali Zardari to suspend the central executive committee (CEC) membership of Mr Qureshi as he (Zardari) has yet to weigh the pros and cons of the decision.

Qureshi in his latest diatribe against his party leadership has demanded resignation from President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani over the US operation. Earlier, he had flatly refused to accept Zaradri's decision to change his portfolio (foregn affairs to water and power) and publicly announced that he had been removed from the post as he did not agree to give “blanket immunity” to CIA spy Raymond Davis.

The PPP circles wonder as to how Qureshi has so far managed to be part of the party despite declaring an 'open war' against the leadership. “Is the leadership concerned about Qureshi's links with the establishment or anticipating the possible damage he can cause after he is formally separated from the party?” a PPP leader questions.

“The other idea haunting the leadership is that it does not want the disgruntled elements in the party like Nahid, Safdar, Aitzaz Ahsan and now Qureshi to join hands to form a formidable faction that can attract workers not happy with the party policies,” he said.

Nahid Khan's basic party membership was suspended for separately organising a party function in Lahore on the PPP's foundation day and the leadership wasted no time in ousting Mr Abbasi as CEC member for appearing in a talk show of a private news channel in violation of the party direction.

“I have submitted my reply to Mr Badr for appearing in the talk show about seven months ago but he has not yet responded to it,” Safdar Abbasi said while talking to Dawn. He asked as to why only his CEC membership had been suspended for appearing in the programme of a private TV while no action was taken when other party members like Jamshed Dasti featured in the programmes of the same TV.

Mr Abbasi said he could not understand why the leadership's anger was directed at them for the “so-called violation of the party discipline?” “In fact we represent the feelings of the workers and perhaps the leadership feels threatened from that feelings,” he said, adding today the party workers were depressed, frustrated and demoralised owing to the policies of their leadership. “So far Mr Qureshi is concerned, he is a man of principle and remained committed to the party since he joined it,” Abbasi said.

Earlier, President Zardari had stopped his party men from issuing any statement against Qureshi after he refused to accept the water and power ministry and rather went public. But this time no such direction came from the leadership as party leaders like Sharjeel Memon, Raja Riaz and Dr Fakharuddin Chaudhry took on Qureshi.

PPP Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira old Dawn Qureshi had violated the party discipline and an “appropriate action” should be taken against him. “The leadership will take up the matter in the party meeting and decide his fate,” he said.