With elections in sight
The President’s meetings with PPP leaders and allies had drawn a lot of flak in the recent past. Zardari was accused of indulging in political activities and thus compromising his office. Later, the SC in its judgment in the Asghar Khan case barred him from such activities in the Presidency. This time Zardari decided to stay away from Islamabad and held the meetings at Bilawal House instead. With better relations with the PML-N and the issues discussed being nearer to the heart of the opposition, the meeting drew little attention. The decision to hold elections without delay and the opposition to the ‘conspiracies’ aimed at stopping the peaceful transfer of power were bound to be widely hailed. Thus Tahirul Qadri and Altaf Hussain, who want the system to be overhauled before holding the elections, stand isolated from the mainstream.
The PPP core committee which met at Bilawal House also set up a number of subcommittees. One comprising four members would hold talks with various political parties as well as the Punjab administration to ensure that elections were held on time. The move was aimed at convincing the opposition which has always doubted PPP’s real intentions that the government this time really meant what it said. The core committee assigned the task of holding parleys on a caretaker setup to Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. A section of the opposition has lately been pressing the government to announce the election schedule. Zardari has reportedly approved March 16 as the date for the dissolution of assemblies.
Hopefully, the issue would be finalised along with that of the caretaker setup once the dust raised by Qadri’s announcement of the long march has settled down. Another committee was set up to hold talks with Qadri. The idea was to provide him a way out if he needed one to come down from his hobby horse. The long march has been opposed by practically all political parties across the political divide. The army has dissociated itself from Qadri’s plans including the march. The US and Britain have explained they have nothing to do with the man or his politics. What decision Qadri takes now depends on the level of the determination of the powers who are supposedly backing him. The policy by the government is to persuade Qadri rather than annoy him. The core committee has therefore decided to put no impediments in the way of his long march. The federal government, however, is determined, and for genuine reasons, not to allow the marchers to enter the high security red zone area in Islamabad. If Qadri does not try to create a law and order situation and the government remains firm but cool, the event would pass away peacefully.
