Polls apart

The “unnatural alliance” between the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is set to meet its natural demise well ahead of the general elections and an announcement in this regard may be made in the next few months as the leadership of both parties have understood that they can’t carry each others’ “heavy baggage”.
After real estate tycoon Malik Riaz’s failure to bridge the gulf between both coalition partners, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayyed have been involved in hectic consultations to explore possibilities of formation of new alliances with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Fazlur Rehman-led Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) and other right-wing political outfits for upcoming polls, it has been reliably learnt. Well-placed sources in the PPP and PML-Q have confided in Pakistan Today that President Asif Zardari was “unhappy” with Shujaat and Mushahid’s recent visit to Dadu and Larkana. A source in the PPP said the president was annoyed over the fact that not only did Shujaat visit the cities which were PPP strongholds, but he was furious over remarks by Shujaat in Larkana that Larkana was “home of the PML-Q”. “Everybody knows that the president hates Altaf Unnar. The recent public gatherings were largely attended and arranged by Unnars for PML-Q, ringing alarm bells in the PPP. The ruling party is already facing a tough time due to an unannounced alliance between nationalist Sindhis, Pir Pagara and Nawaz Sharif,” the PPP leader said. “Finally, President Asif Ali Zardari gave a green signal to the party’s provincial presidents Mian Manzoor Wattoo and Anwar Saifullah Khan to win loyalties of all those PML-Q members of parliament or those heavyweights who could win polls. Moreover, development funds of Rs 20 million are being doled out to each MPA joining the PPP. The recent joining of PPP by PML-Q KP MPA Nighat Aurakzai is a prime example,” a source in the PPP said.
A source in the PML-Q said Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf had also stopped the release of development funds for the PML-Q MPs and even he was not willing to meet the Chaudhrys despite repeated requests.
The source added that the cold-war had reached its peak between the leadership of both coalition partners as the prime minister even ignored a request by Shujaat, who had asked the PM to take along him the PML-Q secretary-finance and special assistant to Prime Minister Imtiaz Ranjha in his recent visit to Gilgit-Baltistan. The prime minister rejected the request.
“In utter desperation, Shujaat contacted real estate tycoon Malik Riaz, the main guarantor of the PPP-‘Q’ alliance, who arranged a meeting with the prime minister, as the president declined to meet the Chaudhrys.”
On the day of meeting that took place last week, Shujaat and Pervaiz Elahi went to the residence of Malik Riaz, who took them both to the PM House. During the meeting, the PM reluctantly agreed to release development funds for the Q league’s MPs, but he told the Chaudhrys flatly to talk to President Zardari for their complaints against Manzoor Wattoo and Anwar Saifullah,” the source added.
The source said that following the results of the recent by-election, the leaders of the PPP and PML-Q had understood the fact that the workers of both political parties had rejected the unnatural alliance.
The source added that the PPP had gathered information that the PML-N had launched an onslaught to win loyalties of all potential Q leaguers and that’s why they were making last ditch efforts to gain momentum in Punjab.
“Yes, consultation process has been launched to form a new alliance between likeminded parties. However, the consultation process is in its initial stage and after thorough deliberations, contacts would be made with the leadership of likeminded parties for seat-adjustments or a formal alliance,” the PML-Q leader said.
He said the Chaudhrys had understood the fact that most of their MNAs and MPAs would soon leave the party and would be contesting from the platform of the PML-N or PTI in Punjab and PPP in Sindh.
However, he said the Chaudhrys wanted to hold huge public gatherings before the polls arrived to catch the attention of likeminded parties.
He said Shujaat was the brains behind the idea and he had all the skills needed to woo even his bitter opponents.
When contacted, PML-Q Secretary Information Senator Kamil Ali Agha said it was premature to pass a verdict on the fate of the PPP-PMLQ alliance.
He, however, admitted the fact that there were “genuine and grave concerns” but no final word could be passed until and unless a meeting took place between President Asif Ali Zardari and Chaudhry Shujaat.
Asked if his party’s leadership was annoyed over the role being played by Anwar Saifullah and Manzoor Wattoo in KP and Punjab, as both were making lucrative offers to win loyalties of PML-Q MPs, Agha said there were genuine reservations and the same would be discussed in an overdue meeting with President Zardari.