President, PM bar PPP leaders from 'statements'

LAHORE - President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have taken notice of the statements delivered by Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Qasim Zia against PML-N leadership and advised them to observe restraint.
Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, however, denied having received any such instructions from the prime minister when The Nation contacted him to confirm the development.
"I have not received any such instructions from PM Gilani," was the prompt reply from Punjab Governor, who seemed adamant on his stance. Similarly, another PPP leader Qasim Zia also responded by saying that he hasn't received any such advice from the Prime Minister, and added "If anyone hurls accusations against the party or party chairman, then it cannot not be tolerated silently." He even went to the extent of saying that no one could bar him from issuing such statements.
It has been learnt that in his telephonic conversation with Punjab chief minister on Sunday, Prime Minister Gilani told Shahbaz that he had asked Salman Taseer and Qasim Zia to refrain from issuing provocative statements against PML-N leadership.
The Prime Minister has reportedly advised them not to go into media over this sensitive issue without consultations of the party leadership. He said that an environment of reconciliation should be retained. He further said that the policy of taking along all the parties together was in vogue at the moment.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman said that the Prime Minister has directed all members of the government to refrain from making any inflammatory statements that may aggravate the situation between the Centre and Punjab.
She quoted him as saying that the Federal Government will not take any step that is undemocratic and will do its best to pursue the path of national reconciliation.
Meanwhile, taking strong notice of statements by Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, Qasim Zia and other PPP leaders against the PML-N, President Asif Zardari has barred them from passing such remarks without party leadership's permission.
According to a private TV channel, President Zardari has stopped party leaders from giving a reaction to PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif's speech till his return from China. After these orders, the PPP leaders have postponed their Press conferences.
Abrar Saeed from Islamabad adds: Sources in PPP disclosed to TheNation that Prime Minister Gilani taking strict notice of the statements by PPP Punjab President Qasim Zia and Punjab Governor Salman Taseer against the PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif has directed his party leadership to toe the party policy, which in no way permitted to sever relations with PML-N especially at this juncture.
The sources further said that it was a clear-cut direction of the PPP Co-Chairman President Zardari to evolve consensus on the national issues and take on board all the political forces in the country. Sources quoted Zardari as saying that no single political party could steer the country out of the troubled waters at this crucial juncture of time.
They further said that President Zardari was not at all in favour of disturbing the Punjab Government, and he had clearly directed the Punjab Governor not to take any step, which would have adverse effects on its coalition with the PML-N.
Of late President Zardari has given similar caution to his lieutenant in Punjab asking him to keep calm till the Senate elections, and it was due to this appeasing policy of President Zardari that the Senate elections were held unopposed in the province.
PPP came up graciously after the rejection of their candidate's nomination papers against Senate technocrat seat in the NWFP and tacitly offered it to the PML-N candidate against the seat from the province.
The sources in the party disclosed that Premier Gilani was working in complete harmony with the President and every step was being taken with the blessing of the President House.
The political analysts were of the view that at present juncture when the lawyers' long march was posing potential threat to the government, any attempt to destabilize the Punjab government could cost the Federal Government dearly and cause irreparable loss to the incumbent political dispensation.