LAHORE – A hurriedly called meeting between the leadership of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) held in Lahore on Saturday remained inconclusive as the PML-N sought more time to
come up with a definitive answer on the question of an in-house change in the centre as well as in the Punjab province. Though a broader agreement on holding a long march towards Islamabad already exists between the two parties, the PML-N leaders pledged to take up this issue at the PDM platform to find a common ground on this issue as well.
The meeting was significant in the sense that top leaders of the PPP and the PML-N were together under one roof after a long time to achieve political consensus on an important issue.
The presence of PPP supremo Asif Ali Zardari, his son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the PML-N leaders Mian Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz in the meeting was a clear message for the PTI-led government that the Opposition was seriously considering mending fences within its ranks for a final push against the current political dispensation.
The PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif also became part of the deliberations as he talked to Asif Ali Zardari on telephone from London. Insiders said that Maryam Nawaz rang up her father and then handed over her cell phone to the PPP leader and the discussion continued for a few minutes. Senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique and party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb were also present. Asif Zardari’s political secretary Rukhsana Bangash and party’s central Punjab general secretary Syed Hasan Murtaza accompanied their leaders.
The PPP threw the ball in the PML-N’s court with its clear-cut stance on removing the federal and Punjab governments through no-confidence motions as the only democratic way. On the issue of long march, the PPP leadership sought PML-N’s cooperation and the latter pledged to debate the matter at the PDM platform to find a common ground. Insiders said that the PPP side came up with the suggestion that the long march rallies of the PPP and the PDM should enter Islamabad at the same time to give a massive jolt to the powers in Islamabad.
The PML-N leaders reportedly attached a string to the PPP proposal that there should be a sit-in in Islamabad at the end of the march. The PPP side had its reservations with the conditional support to its long march plan. The PML-N, however, showed its willingness to welcome the PPP long march when it entered Punjab. The meeting also discussed the option of moving a no-confidence motion against the National Assembly Speaker first to test neutrality of the establishment. The PML-N reportedly shared a list of 20 PTI lawmakers with the PPP leaders who were in contact with it
According to sources, the two sides agreed to take confidence building measures to restore the lost trust in each other as the issue of some opposition Senators’ absence from the Senate on an important vote also came under discussion. Both sides reportedly agreed to put an end to the trade of allegations against each other and decided to move forward by setting aside differences.
Apparently, the Saturday’s meeting between the heads of the opposition parties took place on a very short notice. Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif Friday talked to Bilawal on telephone and invited him and his father to come to his Model Town residence for a luncheon meeting only a day before this meeting.
The invitation was accepted instantly, and the PPP leaders reached Shehbaz Sharif’s place the very next day. But the sources said that it did not happen all of a sudden as the efforts were afoot behind the doors to make it happen following a humiliating defeat of the opposition parties in the upper house over a controversial legislation on the State Bank.
What officially transpired after the meeting was a mere reiteration of their earlier commitment of using all political and constitutional options to dislodge the incumbent government, setting aside the political differences for the time being. Talking to the media after the meeting, Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari vowed to make joint moves against the government. Both the leaders said that they were one on the question of sending the government packing notwithstanding their differences on other issues.
In his media talk, Shehbaz Sharif conceded that though the PPP had a clear stance on the issue of moving a no-confidence motion against the prime minister, the opinion in the PML-N was divided. He said he would request the PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif to call a consultative meeting of the party to evolve consensus over it. “We will take the option of no confidence very seriously. I will request the party Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif to call a consultative meeting of the party to take a decision on it. The party decision will then be debated in the PDM, and the final outcome will be shared with the PPP”, he said. Shehbaz went on to say: “If we don’t get united at this moment, the nation will not forgive us”, he said, adding that all democratic and constitutional options will be used to oust the government. “If we want to save this country from destruction, then we will have to get rid of this government,” he affirmed.
Replying to a question about the past bitterness between the PPP and the PML-N, Shehbaz said. “The broken hearts can be united”. Asked if the Opposition was waiting for a “signal” [from somewhere] to launch an attack on the government, Shehbaz Sharif angrily replied in the negative. “Do you think, we have been running on signals in the last three and half years”, he asked the questioner and then jokingly said that there were so many signals in the city. Talking about the planned long march of the PPP and the PDM, Shehbaz said that two to three recommendations from the two sides were also discussed in the meeting. Shehbaz lambasted the PTI government accusing it of constantly lying to the people. He said the country had never seen such a bad situation since Pakistan’s inception. He alleged that the government had failed to deliver on all fronts including economy and law and order. He held the present government responsible for the recent surge in the incidents of terrorism in Baluchistan and KPK province. “Today, we see nothing but destruction and devastation all around us”, he remarked. He also criticized the government over its alleged silence on the Kashmir issue.
Bilawal Bhutto said: We are together forgetting the past differences. We will have to get rid of Imran Khan if we want to to save the country”. He said his party was ready to join hands with other opposition parties, forgetting the past differences. Stressing the need for unity among opposition parties, he said that a united opposition will exert greater pressure on the government.
He said moving a no-confidence motion against the prime minister was a parliamentary and democratic process.