ISLAMABAD - Considering the potential consequences of the petitions seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani from the apex court, the ruling PPP is working on a contingency plan that envisages counter strategy as well as future road map leading to next general elections, sources said on Sunday.
Well-placed political sources told The Nation that top leadership of the party has decided to keep defending the ruling of the Speaker National Assembly on question of disqualification of Prime Minister Gilani as MNA. At the same time, the PPP under the contingency plan to be put at place was also looking for a suitable candidate to be nominated as new Leader of the House of the National Assembly from the date of actualisation of disqualification.
Background discussions suggest that the effort is in progress and Prime Minister Gilani was well on board, adding, that the new Leader of the House would be elected from the PPP for couple of months that would follow announcement of next general elections. The plan also envisages appointment of caretaker government in December to set the course for general elections likely to be held in February or March, 2013.
Sources said that lobbying for nomination of new Leader of the House was advancing well.  However, final decision in this regard would be taken should the Prime Minister Gilani stands disqualified by the court under Article 63-G (1).
A crucial meeting of PPP Central Executive Committee (CEC) convened by President Asif Ali Zardari who is also Co-Chairman of the ruling party would take place this week to give final shape to the proposed contingency plan.
Meanwhile, top leadership of the PPP has decided to share its future course with the allied parties of the PPP according to the decision of the Supreme Court.  PPP topnotch leaders and its allied parties have already endorsed the ruling of the Speaker as well as the resolution passed by the ruling coalition in the National Assembly that says the ruling made by the Speaker cannot be challenged at any forum.
The main Opposition party PML-N has rejected the resolution passed by the National Assembly endorsing the Speaker’s ruling and termed it a controversial resolution because the Supreme Court was already hearing the matter.