Formal talks between the country’s two major political parties – the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) started on Thursday with both trying to put the cart before the horse by making demands to each other.
Khursheed Shah led the talks from the PPP and was assisted by Law Minister Farooq H Naik and Naveed Qamar. Senator Ishaq Dar represented the PML-N in the meeting accompanied by Khawaja Asif and Pervez Rasheed.
A source in the PML-N privy to the details told Pakistan Today that his party made two demands to the PPP delegation during the two-hour dialogue for making any advancement in the talks – that a cut date be announced for holding general elections in December or January as a confidence-building measure (CBM) and Arbab Ghulam Rahim be designated as leader of the opposition in Sindh.
“On the other hand, the PPP delegation asked the PML-N to agree to its proposal of holding local government elections across country, including in Punjab, before general elections as its allied parties wanted to complete their constitutional term and hold elections on time – between March 18 and April 15 – while the PML-N should also agree on a consensus accountability law so that no future government could victimize politicians on pretext of accountability,” the source added. On holding of local bodies’ elections, the PML-N said the transparency of the LG polls could be questioned by any opposition party, therefore, it would be unwise to hold the polls before the general election. They said the Charter of Democracy signed with Benazir Bhutto emphasized that LG polls should be held on non-party basis as district and tehsil nazims could influence the general election and make them controversial. They said the consensus between both parties could be sabotaged by any controversy on the LG polls and this should be avoided. The source said the talks were held in a pleasant manner. Interestingly, both parties made utmost efforts to keep the talks a secret, however, the media got a clue of the meeting. “Syed Khursheed Shah reached the federal capital early on Thursday from Karachi and arrived at the Punjab House secretively.
The PML-N also did not inform the media,” the source added. The talks lasted for two hours and both sides agreed to continue talks over other issues, the source added. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Shah said the agenda of the meeting was to convince the PML-N on the accountability bill.
“We want every law to be unanimously approved,” Shah said. Ishaq Dar said the meeting only focused its discussion on the accountability law and no other issue, including the next caretaker set up and the commission on establishment of new provinces in Punjab came under discussion.
He said discussion was held on the proposed accountability bill which would also be shared with the senior PML-N leadership to take their input. “We want to have a fair and robust accountability law to eliminate the draconian law introduced by a dictator,” Dar said, adding that the accountability bill was in National Assembly’s standing committee and they wanted to table it after evolving consensus. Law Minister Farooq H Naik said the accountability bill would be passed with consensus. He said the new bill would be drafted according to the aspirations of all stakeholders.