ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Peoples Party on Monday expelled Senator Faisal Raza Abidi from the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) and also banned his entry into the Presidency for holding a Press conference against the higher judiciary.

Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira talking to the media men at an Iftar-dinner said they did not endorse Abidi’s views against the judiciary.They said Abidi did not represent the PPP.
Qamar Zaman Kaira said: “I am the spokesman of PPP and not Faisal Raza Abidi”.
To a question directed to the PM by a reporter as to what would happen on August 8th, the Prime Minister said losing hope is against the Islamic faith.
PPP high command issued a show-cause notice to Faisal Raza Abidi over his Sunday’s Press conference during which the Senator had lashed out at the judiciary and at Arsalan Iftikhar, son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
Moreover, taking notice of the Press briefing, the Supreme Court also summoned a record of it.
During the Press conference, Senator Abidi had distributed copies of the bank statements of a company, ‘F&A Enterprises’, allegedly owned by Arsalan Iftikhar, son of the Chief Justice, carrying the address of his official residence.
The Senator had also criticised the Supreme Court for nullifying the recently-passed contempt of court law and termed it part of a plan to pitch two State institutions against each other. The show-cause notice was issued to Senator Abidi by PPP Secretary General Jahangir Badar.
The notice directs Senator Abidi to explain his Press briefing of Aug 5th in which he had said that while contempt cases against a number of people, including PPP leaders Babar Awan, Sharjeel Memon and Taj Haider, were pending, the court had hurriedly convicted a Prime Minister and sent him home.
Abidi acknowledged having received the notice and said he would respond to it soon.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Monday asked for the record of the PPP Senator Faisal Raza Abidi’s Press conference in which he called for the resignation of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.
Iftikhar had sought footage of the Press briefing to see whether it came under contempt of court or not.
He had also said that he would soon table a bill against the judges who had taken oath under the PCO. A petition was filed in the Supreme Court, seeking contempt of court proceedings against Senator Faisal Raza Abidi over his Press conference.
The petition also made PEMRA Chairman and a private TV anchor as respondents.
Petitioner Tariq Asad pleaded the court that strict action should be taken against the parties involved under the contempt of court law.
He said that criticism on the Chief Justice could not be termed as justified.
The petition said that the private TV channel failed to take precautionary measures in this regard.