Against the backdrop of a continuing standoff between the government and the military over the memo issue that has left both sides sticking to their positions, a flurry of activities was witnessed in the federal capital on Thursday, as all political parties, coalition partners and the opposition, remained active throughout the day to avoid a confrontation between the institutions.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was, however, not willing to give the government a chance to stay in power, as it chalked out a three-phased strategy to oust the Zardari-Gilani dispensation and established contacts with other opposition parties to form a united front. They will continue their consultations today (Friday) to consider moving a no-confidence motion against the PM.
After facing serious differences from within party ranks over en bloc resignations from parliament, the perturbed PML-N leadership on Thursday initiated fresh efforts to form a grand opposition with likeminded parties to force the government into announcing early elections under a neutral caretaker setup.
The PML-N’s Central Working Committee and parliamentary party failed to devise a clear-cut strategy against the government, as its central leaders were divided on tendering en bloc resignations from parliament and provincial assemblies. “At the outset of the meeting, Khawaja Saad Rafiq asked the party’s central command to give a date on which they would resign from the assemblies. In response, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Javed Latif and some others opposed the option, saying it would politically damage the party,” a PML-N source said, adding that a majority of PML-N lawmakers advised to bring a no-confidence motion against the PM.
However, some party leaders opposed the suggestion, arguing that it would not succeed as the PPP’s coalition partners would not ditch the PM while supporters of no-confidence motion argued that the move would at least prove that the PML-N was serious in removing the “corrupt” government.
A number of PML-N leaders asked Nawaz Sharif to give a deadline to the government to mend its ways and after the passage of the deadline, the PML-N must lead a long march to Islamabad to send the government packing. A source said the party could not reach a consensus on giving a deadline but it agreed that the option of long march would be used at an appropriate time.
Immediately after the party’s CWC meeting, Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had a consultation meeting with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman, PML-Likeminded President Salim Saifullah, PPP -Sherpao chief Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmed of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) to devise a joint strategy of opposition vis-à-vis current political situation in the country. These party leaders met at Nisar’s chamber in the Parliament House and discussed bringing a no-confidence motion against the PM, but could not reach a decision in this regard.
However, they agreed that fresh elections were the only way out of the prevailing political crisis in the country. The central leaders of the JUI-F, PML-Likeminded, PPP-Sherpao, JI and nationalist parties of Balochistan will meet Nawaz Sharif on his lunch invitation to develop a consensus on how the government could be compelled to announce general elections ahead of schedule. Addressing the joint meeting of the PML-N’s Central Working Committee and parliamentary party, Nawaz said the confrontation between the government and military was harmful for the nation. He said the PML-N wanted the supremacy of constitution, law, judiciary and democracy in the country. He said the government was insulting the superior judiciary by not implementing its orders in the NRO case. Nawaz said the government had lost its mandate, therefore, had no justification to stay in power. He again advised the PPP’s allies to quit the coalition government. Talking to reporters outside the Parliament House, Chaudhry Nisar said the opposition had agreed that they would prefer national interest in an atmosphere of confrontation and would not take any step which ended in confrontation. To a question, he said in the prevailing situation, the opposition parties would resist any vote of confidence for the prime minister as saving the government would be a negation of democracy. Nisar said the PML-N boycotted the meeting of Business Advisory Committee as the government did not consult it before summoning the session. He said the government did not summon the session of parliament on some public issue, but now wanted to take refuge in parliament when it felt pinched.
PML-N in frantic efforts to unite Opp
