PPP, ANP leaders removed from PDM WhatsApp group

• PDM has reportedly removed several PPP, ANP members from its WhatsApp group.
• A screenshot circulating on social media shows Ahsan Iqbal removing PPP's Sherry Rehman, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira, and ANP's Mian Iftikhar from the group.
• PPP and ANP have parted ways with the PDM after developing differences. 

Owing to a rift in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) over the matter of resignations from the assemblies and the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, the ANP and PPP bade farewell to the multi-party alliance.  

But it looks like the breakup was not confined to real life, as members of the ANP and PPP have also been reportedly removed from PDM's WhatsApp group, a screenshot recently circulating on social media has revealed.

According to the screenshot, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal removed PPP's Sherry Rehman, former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, and Qamar Zaman Kaira from the group.

Ahsan Iqbal has also removed ANP's Mian Iftikhar from PDM's WhatsApp group.

PPP resigns from the PDM

Two days ago, the PPP had parted ways with the PDM after the latter served it a "show-cause" notice. 

PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari announced that the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) has called upon its members to resign from all positions of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

He said the CEC had come to the conclusion that resignations from the national and provincial assemblies should be "like an atom bomb".

Bilawal said the PPP's stance that the Opposition should "not abandon the Parliament and the Senate battleground" had been vindicated.

He said if the PPP had listened to other political parties in the Opposition and boycotted the Senate elections and by-elections, then it would have harmed democracy.

"We did not give the PTI government an open field to form a two-thirds majority in the Senate," he said, adding that the government lost on its "own pitch" when the PDM candidate won from the Nowshera by-election.

"We will not undermine these gains that the PPP has achieved after giving many sacrifices," he said. "When the PML-N was in power, we protected the Parliament then and we will protect the Parliament today."

Taking a jibe at the PDM, Bilawal said those who wanted to resign from the Parliament, should do so.

"But, no one should try to impose their will or their dictation on any other political party," he said. "And the Pakistan Peoples Party will continue in its firm, consistent Opposition to the selected government that has been ongoing since day one and has not broken for a single day," stressed the PPP chairperson.

"The Pakistan Peoples Party rejects the so-called show-cause notice," he said, referring to the notice the PDM had served it a few days ago.

"Politics is done with equality and respect," he had added.

Bilawal Bhutto had also demanded an "unconditional apology" from the PDM to the ANP and to the PPP for demonstrating an "obnoxious attitude" [in the form of serving show-cause notices].

Bilawal said the PPP stands by the ANP and would not abandon them under any circumstances.

"There is no concept of show-cause notices in democratic alliances," he said.

'PDM does not need to apologise to anyone': Abbasi

Following Bilawal's demand for an apology, Pakistan Democratic Movement's (PDM) secretary-general and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that Bilawal must adopt a responsible attitude when issuing statements, adding that the PDM does not need to issue an apology to anyone.

Abbasi also said that the PDM did not issue a "show-cause notice" to the PPP or the ANP, rather it only sought clarification from the parties regarding their statements.

"The PDM does not need to apologise to anyone," he said. "Anyone who would break the trust of the multi-party alliance will suffer the consequences. Parties come and go, but the movement will continue."