PPP, PML-N decide not to let ‘others’ pull the strings

In a major breakthrough in the ongoing dialogue between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) negotiators, both major political parties have agreed to jointly neutralize any pressure from the military establishment for bringing in a caretaker regime comprising technocrats and both the parties have agreed to install the next caretaker government with mutual consultation and agreement, it has been reliably learnt.
A well-placed source privy to the ongoing covert talks between the two major parties told Pakistan Today that in view of the signals given to the PPP leadership from the establishment for inclusion of technocrats in the caretaker set up to ensure free, fair and transparent polls, President Asif Ali Zardari had decided to once again defy such pressures and had opted for accepting the demand by the PML-N chief to take his party onboard in naming a consensus caretaker setup.
“There were some proposals floated through multiple sources to include technocrats and people of integrity in the caretaker set up to ensure free, fair and transparent election to show the world that Pakistan was a responsible democratic country. The president took it seriously and decided to thwart such plans,” the source said. The source added that when the consent was given to the PML-N’s negotiating team, the PML-N chief negotiator Senator Ishaq Dar wanted a categorical assurance in this regard and he conveyed his counterpart in talks from the PPP, Syed Khursheed Shah, that his leadership was skeptical about the promises made to his party in the past and they wanted a public assurance in this regard. “This was the reason that Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf phoned Opposition Leader Nisar Ali Khan and gave him his word about his party’s commitment to go ahead with the PML-N. Moreover, a public statement was also made by the ruling party in this regard to fulfill the demand of the PML-N,” the source added. A press release issued by PM’s House said the prime minister extended his full support to PML-N’s Nisar, assuring him of the government’s cooperation for resolution of political issues through “dialogue and reconciliation”. The source said the PPP leadership was also concerned about the political gains of Imran Khan and had decided to join hands with the PML-N to neutralize the PTI.
“The president has been upset over the fact that recently another PPP MNA and a close associate of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Mohammad Afzal Sindhu, joined Imran-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). After Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Sardar Asif Ahmed Ali, Sindhu is another senior party leader who has switched over to the PTI.
“The president is of the view that Imran Khan was getting some help from the establishment and this was the reason that the PPP leadership was as much concerned about the PTI as was the PML-N,” the source added.
He said President Zardari wanted the caretaker prime minister to be loyal to him and not give in to the apex court’s pressure on the Swiss letter issue. The source said the PPP had always faced a situation that elections were rigged and power was never transferred to the PPP smoothly in the past. “So we want loyal people in the caretaker setup which are also friendly to the PML-N. We also want to take along the PML-N who has also suffered and has struggled for revival of democratic order in the country”.
A PML-N leader confirmed that the prime minister had officially conveyed his party’s willingness to nominate caretaker government in consultation with the PML-N leadership and said his party leadership had accepted two major demands of the PPP in principle.
“We understand that this is right of the democratically-elected president to install people of his choice into the caretaker setup, however, our feedback and agreement would be necessary. The PPP leadership expressed a goodwill gesture by appointing PML-N’s nominee as chief election commissioner and we want to return the favour,” he added.
The source said after settling major issues with the PPP, the very next day the PML-N decided to settle scores with Imran Khan, as PML-N’s Khawaja Asif unleashed a volley of allegations against the PTI chief, accusing him of gambling away $1.8 million of Zakat money received for Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in real estate business abroad, a charge Khan has denied vehemently.