ISLAMABAD – The 10-party Opposition alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) stands dysfunctional, virtually, for the time being as PDM Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced to postpone the long march after the main Opposition party, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) didn’t agree on the en masse resignations from the Assemblies.
After chairing the alliance’s over 6 hours long meeting, Fazl briefly appeared before the media just to announce that the long march scheduled for March 26th has been postponed.
With a frustration-wearing face, Fazl announced, “The Tuesday’s meeting was to discuss the long march. On the issue of resignations, 9 parties agreed to link resignations with the long march, however, PPP has reservations on this point and they have sought time [to discuss the issue in their party meeting].
“Until we get a response from the PPP, the long march stands postponed,” said Fazl apparently with a heavy heart and walked away from the dais silently as Maryam Nawaz, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and others present there looked on.
Maulana didn’t even listen to the PDM leaders, asking the latter to take questions from the media. The body language of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other PDM leaders suggested that the Opposition alliance was dysfunctional until they heard ‘good news’ from the PPP.
Earlier, addressing the PDM meeting through video link, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari asked Nawaz to return to Pakistan if he was ‘ready for a war’, according to the party sources.
The demand was not taken well in the PML-N circles as, after the departure of Maulana Fazlur Rehman from the dais, Maryam addressed the media just to make it clear that: “No one has the right to call him (Nawaz] back.”
She said, “Zardari had asked Nawaz [in the Tuesday’s meeting] to come to Pakistan to launch the struggle. However, the party and people of Pakistan don’t want to put Nawaz’ life in danger. We cannot handover Nawaz to Imran Khan. No one has the right to call him back. We need leaders alive.”
Disharmony amongst the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) constituent parties on the issue of resignations from the Assemblies was quite obvious in Tuesday’s meeting and so the cracks within the alliance.
PPP President Asif Ali Zardari asked Nawaz Sharif to come back to Pakistan if he wants the government’s ouster.
“If you are prepared to fight a war, you will have to return to the country,” the party sources quoted Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari as having asked the PML-N supremo as he addressed the PDM meeting.
Zardari urged Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan alongwith Ishaq Dar.
“We will then all fight together,” Zardari suggested as he also wished the 10-party Opposition alliance remains intact.
Zardari said while the other Opposition parties contested the Senate elections, Ishaq Dar did not even come to cast his vote.
“When you return to Pakistan, we will hand over our resignations to you,” Zardari said and added that all those who are war-ready must be prepared to go to jail.
On the other hand, PML-N Vice President, Maryam Nawaz, according to the sources, replied to Zardari that her father’s life is in danger and posed a question how he can return to the country under the circumstances.
She said, “Does Zardari Sahab guarantee that my father’s life will not be in danger in Pakistan?” as PPP Co-Chairman insisted for Nawaz return to Pakistan. She said that Nawaz life was threatened under NAB custody and that he had had two heart attacks before while in jail.
The differences amongst the PDM parties are quite understandable as they differ on the priorities and scope of the anti-government movement.
PPP on one side, is of the view that the struggle against the government should have been while remaining part of the Parliamentary system while the PML-N and JUI-F on the other side believe that protests and long march even without resignations would not have any effect when it comes to building pressure against the government.
Maryam Nawaz and PDM Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman were quite hopeful that the PDM parties would be able to convince PPP on the issue of en masse resignations from the Assemblies.
The brief agenda of the Tuesday’s meeting was the issue of the en masse resignations and the long march. The PDM meeting was held at the PML-N Secretariat in Islamabad.
The PML-N and JUI-F had been calling to quit since December.
The PPP, however, has been convincing them to opt for an in-house change and use the resignation strategy as a last resort.
Earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who attended the meeting via video link, had said he did not favour en masse resignations of the Opposition legislators at this stage.
“We should use the resignations as an atom bomb, as the last option,” he said at a Press conference in Hyderabad.
According to the sources, Zardari told Nawaz during the meeting that whether it is the long march or a no-confidence motion, you will have to come to Pakistan. Nawaz Sharif also participated in the proceedings via video link.
“I am ready for war but my domicile is different… Mian sahab, you represent Punjab,” the sources further quoted Zardari as having said. Zardari said that the PPP was ready to fight until its last breath, adding, he spent 14 years of his life in jail.
He said the suggestion of resignations from the Assemblies is tantamount to strengthening Imran Khan’s position.
Both, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders on the other hand are of the view that resignations have become indispensable for launching a decisive political movement to oust the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government at the Centre.
Sources said that Zardari apologised to Maryam in view of his statement on Nawaz return.
In response, the PML-N Vice President said that her intention was not to seek an apology. The PDM leaders had sat together in the federal capital to review the political situation in the country after the recently-held Senate polls and by-elections, which, according to them, have shaken the ruling party.
Former PM and PPP senior leader Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani also spoke to the media and thanked the PDM leadership for contesting by-elections and Senate elections.
He requested for more time to discuss the issue of resignations in the party meeting.
“If you want resignations, give us some time… We will go back to the CEC,” he said.
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