Fact Check: PPP did not suspend Aitzaz Ahsan from CEC, party membership

Claim: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) decided to take action against former federal minister Aitzaz Ahsan after his recent statement about the army chief and decided to suspend his Central Executive Committee (CEC) and basic membership of the party.

“A resolution will be adopted in today’s session against Aitzaz Ahsan’s remarks and a show-cause notice will be served to him,” party insiders shared with a news outlet, adding that the decision had been taken on PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari’s instructions.

Fact: PPP’s sources have revealed that no such decision has been taken and the prerogative of such decision lies in the hands of party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Co-chairman Asif Zardari. PPP leader Anny Marri also tweeted negating the news about Ahsan’s suspension, saying there is “zero truth to this”.

Details:

Senior PPP leader Ahsan had given a statement while talking to the media persons at the Lahore High Court against Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Ahsan alleged that the army chief rescued the Sharif family from conviction in cases and he has committed a big crime.

He said the cases against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif were open-and-shut and their conviction was evident.

He further said it was unfortunate that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had been used for political engineering in Pakistan.

Punjab PPP acting president, Rana Farooq Saeed, disowned Ahsan’s statement against the army chief, alleging that the senior leader has become a part of Imran Khan’s “anti-democracy agenda”.

“Aitzaz Ahsan has become a full part of Imran Khan’s conspiracy to derail democracy in the country [by stating that the army chief has rescued the Sharifs from conviction in cases],” said Saeed.

Verdict: FALSE