It may be noted that the Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan assemblies had passed resolutions in support of the President Asif Ali Zardari. The PPP Punjab leaders had vowed to table and get pass a resolution in favour of the President Asif Ali Zardari from the Punjab assembly as well. But it was opposed by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), leading to a controversy amidst a weeklong Punjab visit of President Asif Ali Zardari.
Both the PML-N and the PPP remained stick to their positions to the extent that the Sharif brothers remained absent from the province throughout the stay of the President in Punjab. The PPP sources had told Business Recorder that the PPP Punjab parliamentary party had made clear to the PML-N that it would not support the local bodies law in the Punjab assembly unless the PML-N is ready to support a resolution in favour of the President Zardari.
However, the party sources told that the situation has changed altogether now and the issue of resolution in favour of President Zardari in Punjab assembly is no more relevant in present circumstances. These sources said the Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani' supporting the President Zardari vigorously in the National Assembly.
According to the sources, the Prime Minister's open stance in favour of President Zardari is enough to suggest that the PPP was fully supportive to the President and the party was totally united under his leadership. This move on the part of Prime Minister has provided required strength to the President Zardari and there's no need of having a favourable resolution from the Punjab assembly for the President, they said.
It may be noted that the Prime Minister had also called on Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif in the backdrop of President Zardari's visit to Lahore where the Chief Minister Punjab made clear that he was not away from the province due to the presence of President in the province. Further, he had clarified that that he would receive the President on next visit to Lahore.