Opp to convince Zardari to step down ahead of polls

As the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led opposition parties decided on Friday to convince President Asif Ali Zardari to step down ahead of the next general elections to make the election process transparent, they also agreed to adopt a cautious approach and avoid any confrontation with the government so that no third force could take advantage of the political chaos. The top leadership of the opposition parties met on Friday at a lunch hosted by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif amidst efforts to unite at one platform and form a grand alliance to push the incumbent political dispensation out of power. A participant of the meeting told Pakistan Today that the opposition leadership had decided to convince Zardari to step down ahead of the next general elections to make them credible. However, he added, the opposition would not push the government to the extent where a third party could take advantage of the situation. The meeting also expected a “changed” attitude from the main ruling party to avoid any confrontation with army and judiciary that, they feared, could change the whole spectrum of politics. A source said it was Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman who proposed that all the opposition parties should convince Zardari to step down ahead of elections. The meeting was held at a time when the government has locked horns with the army and judiciary on a number of issues and facing legal challenges emanating from a warning by the Supreme Court to implement its order in the NRO case. Fazl, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Syed Munawar Hassan, former JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed, PkMAP chief Mahmoud Khan Achakzai, Hasil Bizenjo, PPP-S chief Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Sajid Mir, Gohar Ayub Khan, Salim Saifullah and Prof Khurshid Ahmed attended the meeting, which is being considered the biggest and most serious anti-government gathering in the recent days. Another source said the majority of the opposition leaders were of the opinion that the opposition should adopt a cautious approach to push the government for early elections and rejected the proposals given by Nawaz which called for a no-trust motion against the government, long march or en-mass resignation from the parliament. Talking to reporters after the meeting, PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said the participants of the meeting agreed on five basic points, however, they would take a final decision in this regard soon. The points included: the government should announce elections immediately, electoral rolls must be completed as soon as possible, all decisions of the Supreme Court must be implemented and an independent election commission and a neutral caretaker government be formed. The meeting asked the government to avoid confrontation with state institutions.