Yousaf Raza Gillani stepped down as leader of Opposition in Senate

ISLAMABAD: PPP leader and former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani has stepped down as the leader of the Opposition in the Senate after his absence led to the passage of the State Bank (Amendment) Bill 2021 in the Upper House of the Parliament.

“I have submitted my resignation to my party; I do not want to to be the Opposition leader anymore,” Gillani said while addressing on the floor of the Senate.

During the session, 12 members were absent, including eight members of the Opposition, two of the government and two from independent candidate Dilawar Khan’s group.

In

an indirect reference to his absence from Friday’s session, Gilani said “some turncoats” were accusing him of helping the government.

“If ministers would have said something [of this sort], it would have been an honour for me. But some turncoats are saying that I helped the government. I am not astonished by harsh words from my opponents, but I am astonished by the silence of my well-wishers,” he said.