Islamabad

Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday has refused to accept PPP leader Yousaf Raza Gillani's resignation as the leader of the Opposition in the Senate terming his services as a "shining example" for democrats.

Bilawal expressed regret over the role of chairman of the Senate in passing the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill 2021 and said it was passed the bill "in connivance with the government," reported Geo News. The Senate on Friday passed the SBP (Amendment) Bill 2021 amid an outcry from the opposition.

On January 13, the National Assembly passed the SBP autonomy bill along with the supplementary finance bill -- both these bills were a requirement by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

The approval of the State Bank amendment bill was necessary to ensure Pakistan's sixth review of the $6 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFE) gets cleared by the IMF's Executive Board which is scheduled to meet on February 2 to decide the disbursement of the $1-billion tranche.

Gilani 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 be the Opposition leader anymore," Gilani had said in the Senate.