Imran refuses to become bedfellows with Zardari
“Our party has been fighting against the monster of corruption for more than two decades and the roots of PPP are very deep in corruption,” said PTI’s central leader Mian Aslam Iqbal, while talking to DNA
It was expected, by some quarters, that the apex court’s verdict on the Panama case would lead to the formation of a grand alliance, comprising all opposition parties, demanding the prime minister’s resignation. Yet even as almost all opposition parties are seeking the PM’s ouster, they are refusing to unite on a single platform
There are two major parties of the opposition with presence both in the assemblies and masses; Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI). And considering their numbers, and their following, they can create numerous problems for the Sharif family by launching a joint movement against the government. But the leaders of these parties are locking horns with each other with both Asif Ali Zardari and Imran Khan lashing out at each other in the public meetings.
“Our party has been fighting against the monster of corruption for more than two decades and the roots of PPP are very deep in corruption,” said PTI’s central leader Mian Aslam Iqbal, while talking to DNA.
He was of the view that PTI is all about changing the rotten system of governance prevalent in the country and it is impossible for a symbol of change to work jointly with a party of the status-quo. When asked about the symbols of status-quo like Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Liaqat Jatoi and many more who are joining PTI in droves, Iqbal said that such politicians are joining the party after accepting the manifesto and ideology of Imran Khan.
“These people will immediately be kicked out if they stop following the ideology of Imran Khan and if they are found involved in any sort of corruption after coming to the power,” he said.
According to him, PTI wants to strengthen institutions that have been weakened by the financial corruption in the past. It was PTI that approached the Supreme Court against the Panama Leaks while PPP was not in the favour of approaching the apex court, he added.
“The PTI will continue its struggle against the prime minister in its individual capacity as we cannot proceed with the PPP,” he concluded.
In the words of senior political analyst Sohail Warraich, a major grand alliance of the opposition parties is missing in the political scenario and it will help Nawaz Sharif a lot.
“PTI is more tilted towards PML-Q than PPP but some leaders of PML-Q have also expressed reservations against the PTI,” Warraich said. He was of the view that some leaders of PML-Q complain that whenever they approach the PTI to form a workable strategy, the leaders of PTI try to persuade them to join their party instead of discussing a seat adjustment plan for the future. Warraich further said that it is the need of the hour for all the parties to unite on a single platform if they really want to oust the PM from his office.
It may be mentioned here that PTI and PPP came closer in the recently held by-election of PP-23 (Chakwal) and later decided to support the candidate of PTI but this alliance soon fizzled out when Imran Khan addressed a public gathering during his visit to the constituency and started a tirade against Asif Zardari
“Veteran politician Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan used to say that in politics, when in opposition, you take whatever comes into your hands, be it small stones or even sand, to throw at the government”, Warraich said, adding that such political acumen is missing from today’s opposition leaders.
According to Warraich, severe rifts have emerged between the PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), putting pressure on their alliance in KP, which is compelling JI to weigh other options as well.
“One can see that JI is talking to the four-party alliance comprising PML-Q, Sunni Ittehad Council, Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen and Tahir –ul-Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek and JI can also go for the revival of the alliance of religious parties as well,” he said.
Senator Kamil Ali Agha of PML-Q told DNA that it is better for all opposition parties to launch a joint movement against the government but such grand alliance is impossible till reservations among PTI and PPP are addressed. “Frankly, no political party will be willing to go for an alliance with PPP but PML-Q will try to form an issue-based grand alliance to launch a movement only to oust the prime minister.
Some minor opposition parties are mulling an alliance as Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain of PML-Q has visited JI’s headquarter in Mansoora urging its leader Siraj ul Haq to be a part of his four-party alliance. The secretary general of JI, Liaqat Baloch, told DNA that a two-member coordination committee was made consisting of Baloch and JI’s Punjab Amir Mian Maqsood to have meetings with the four-party alliance of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. “Terms and conditions and charter of this alliance is not finalised yet as Chaudhry Shujaat is out of country and any development to materialise the alliance will be made after return,” Baloch said.
Qazi Ahmed Saeed, parliamentary leader of PPP in Punjab, said Asif Zardari believes in the politics of reconciliation but Imran Khan prefers ‘solo flight’, which is a major hindrance in making a grand alliance.
“Zardari sahib is trying to bring all the parties on one page against Nawaz Sharif and we are hoping that he will be successful, but that will be possible only if Imran Khan shuns his politics of solo flight”.
It may be mentioned here that PTI and PPP came closer in the recently held by-election of PP-23 (Chakwal) and later decided to support the candidate of PTI but this alliance soon fizzled out when Imran Khan addressed a public gathering during his visit to the constituency and started a tirade against Asif Zardari.
In that public meeting, some workers of PPP were also present and they soon left and announced not to support PTI in the election. The candidate of PTI lost the contest by a margin of 14 thousand votes to PML-N eventually and PTI could easily secure the seat with the support of PPP.
It seems even politics does not make strange bedfellows in Pakistan, at least in the present setting.