PDM Split After Gen Faiz Provided Zardari Relief In Cases

PDM Split After Gen Faiz Provided Zardari Relief In Cases
Acting on ex-PM Imran Khan's advice, Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed had arranged for a concession from NAB and a court for PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, writes Javed Chaudhry.

Subsequently, he adds, two developments took place. Firstly, Zardari traveled to Karachi, and Yousuf Raza Gilani was made the Leader of the Opposition in Senate via four votes by the then ruling party's ally BAP.

Thus, Faiz' move paved the way for the split of the opposition's PDM alliance, the columnist maintains.

It happened after the PTI chief asked former COAS Gen (retd) Bajwa and Gen (retd) Faiz to dismantle the alliance, as reported earlier, he says.

The columnist detailed the occurrence after he received a call from the former president's counsel Farooq H. Naek who said that that the PPP co-chair moved to Karachi after his bail was approved, while the cases against him were underway in Islamabad.

On Dec 30, it was reported that the Gen (retd) Bajwa granted Asif Ali Zardari an NRO-II, allowing the cases against him in Islamabad to move to Karachi, followed by the split of the PDM alliance.

He said that being fearful of the alliance, Imran Khan suggested at a meeting held at the PM’s House, to dismantle the alliance comprising a ‘bunch of thieves’.

Those who attended the meeting included Lt. Gen. (retd) Faiz Hameed, who suggested the PDM’s cases to be moved to Karachi, and this got Imran’s nod.

The journalist added that Asif Ali Zardari then got the NRO and the PPP parted its ways with the alliance on April 13, 2022.