Predicting that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led government is headed towards its end, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) chief Pir Pagara said on Tuesday that he foresees the army stepping forward to play its role in national politics. “The government is going [towards its end], and the time for a brigadier has come. There will be good news in the month of November,” he said while talking to the media at a luncheon hosted at his residence Kingri House on occasion of his 83rd birthday. However, he did not celebrate his birthday this year “because of the situation prevailing in the country”. When he was reminded that President Asif Ali Zardari is famous for being an expert of the politics of “jor tor” [wheeling and dealing], he said that “now it is the time for tor only”.
It is pertinent to mention that Pagara’s party, the PML-F, is one of the allies of the Asif Zardari-led PPP in the Centre as well as Sindh.
Pagara is preparing for a 10-day rest at a hospital, which he terms as “nursing land”. He said that any change in the political situation of the country during these 10 days will depend on the Supreme Court’s verdicts on politically important cases it has taken up. “Ask the Supreme Court what changes can take place in the situation or the law by the time I return,” he said. He was of the view that the Supreme Court is working according to the prevailing scenario. “The army could come forward if needed,” he added. Pagara also criticised the judiciary, questioning that “where was the Supreme Court during Nawaz Sharif and Ghulam Mohammad’s regime”.
On Monday, Pagara’s son Pir Sadruddin Shah Rashdi met with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chief Nawaz Sharif in Lahore. Shah told journalists that he had delivered Pagara’s message to Sharif.
Pagara did not talk about that meeting and said that his son should be asked about it. However, he said that “Nawaz is neither his enemy, nor does he have any dispute with him over a girlfriend”.
He said that he and Sharif are not holding any office presently, but “Nawaz can come (back) in the office again”.
Responding to a question regarding possibilities of unification of Muslim League factions, he said that the authorities who had divided the Leagues would unite it as well.
On the future of PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, he said he had earlier predicted that those who will accompany him [Bilawal] will live in the country, and the remaining will have to leave.
To a question about Dr Zulfiqar Mirza’s mission against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, he said that the former home minister has more chances of success in the tussle “because many people are supporting Mirza and he himself [Pagara] has also prayed for him”.
Speaking about former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, he said that his future is bright “if he holds firm”. I have also prayed for him [Qureshi],” he added.
Talking about Imran Khan, he said that he is a good bowler and “will continue his bombardment, but the beneficiaries will be others”.
About future of former military ruler General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, he said that he has already advised people asking him about Musharraf to “read the history of Genghis Khan”.
