KARACHI: Dr Asim Hussain on Friday resigned from the post of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Karachi division president. In a statement, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday appreciated the services of Dr Asim Hussain for the party. “Dr Asim Hussain worked dedicatedly for PPP as the Karachi Division President despite poor health that deteriorated during his incarceration,” the PPP chairman said. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated that after completion of treatment abroad, Dr Asim Hussain would be given new and important assignment upon his return. “Dr Asim is going abroad for medical treatment and will be given a new assignment when he returns,” sources said. They added that many leaders of PPP’s Karachi division had been against the decision to appoint Dr Asim as president. “He was not aware of the party’s organisational structure. Everyone was against him. After his recent meeting with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader Farooq Sattar, he was issued a show-cause notice,” a senior PPP leader said. Dr Asim had said that he had held the meeting with Sattar on the instructions of PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari. However, MNA Faryal Talpur denied the claim. Sources said that former Karachi division president Najmi Alam and MPA Saeed Ghani had played a role in Dr Asim’s removal. In November 2016, Dr Asim had been appointed president of the party’s Karachi chapter on Zardari’s instructions. Zardari and Dr Asim are considered close friends. “In the initial days he was not happy with the party position,” a PPP leader said. According to the senior party leader, when he asked Dr Asim about his apparent annoyance over being congratulated, he had replied, “Please congratulate someone else. I am not interested in it.” Sources said that differences also emerged between Ghani and Dr Asim over a number of matters, but the party’s leadership avoided touching the matter and asked Dr Asim to continue his work. Published in Daily Times, November 18th 2017.