Pakistan's ex-PM Nawaz Sharif agrees to call MPC on ARD Platform
‘Pakistan Times’ Political Desk

LAHORE: Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister and PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif has agreed to call multi-party conference (MPC) on the platform of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the moot is expected to be held in London in the month of March.

Sources in PML-N say, Nawaz Sharif who has reached Dubai from London along with his son and wife is going to hold one-to-one meeting with Benazir Bhutto in which formal announcement regarding MPC will be made.

The sources claimed that the PPP argues that the conference is being held ahead of its time and should take place after General Musharraf has clearly laid down the election plans; two, the party is concerned about the participation of the MMA in the conference.

According to them, Nawaz Sharif does not want to take credit for the entire initiative rather his only desire is to save the country from crises emerged due to wrong policies of General Pervez Musharraf.

According to political analysts, the PPP’s response to MPC does raise serious doubts about the political parties having learnt any lessons from their time out of power.

The foundation of the charter of democracy signed by the PPP and the PML-N was that neither of the two parties would support the military’s involvement in governance of the country.

The PPP’s willingness to engage in a dialogue with General Musharraf in the past months has, however, shown a different interpretation of the accord.

At the same time, refusal of MMA Chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad to attend MPC called by other than Nawaz Sharif raises various questions. Nevertheless, the opposition needs to be united for a common goal.

The sources said the PPP denies every few weeks that the party is not going to enter into a deal with the government. However, the party and its leadership have not squashed possibilities of negotiations with the government.

The fact is that the MPC being proposed in London is unlikely to provide dramatic solutions to Pakistan’s political crisis.

However, the moot has now become an important test of the current opposition’s mutual trust and commitment against reducing the military’s rule in government.

Recap

As was reported by 'Pakistan Times' [Daily Web Newspaper] in its edition on Monday, Jan.29, 2007 Leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have agreed to hold the all-parties conference (APC) from the platform of the ARD in March.

Yet, a deadlock on the issue of the conference’s timing and the participation by Pakistan’s ex-Prime Minister and Chairperson of PPP Ms Benazir Bhutto persists.

The leaders of the PPP and PML [N] held a three-hour round of talks to sort out differences and reach a consensus on the Nawaz Sharif-proposed APC of opposition parties in London to chalk out a joint strategy for a drive against the government for the next general elections, a report said on Sunday.

While ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim led the PPP delegation consisting of Raja Pervez Ashraf, Mian Raza Rabbani, Sherry Rehman and Enver Baig, noted politician Raja Zafarul Haq led the PML [N] delegation, which included Iqbal Zafar Jahgra, Ahsan Iqbal and Khawaja Saad Rafiq.

The report quotes PPP sources as saying that the PML [N] has agreed to hold the APC on the ARD’s platform. However they wanted the APC to take placee in March and sought confirmation of the participation of Ms Benazir Bhutto.

Some sources of PML [N] are of the view that the PPP was still reluctant to confirm Ms Benazir’s participation and the APC’s timeframe without consulting the PPP Chairperson.

“The PPP leaders however assured the PML [N] that they could convince Ms Bhutto for participation after her reservations about the MMA were addressed. The PPP wants MMA out of the APC or at least at the back seat in the whole show,” they said.

Later on talking to reporters at a joint press conference they hinted that they had agreed to hold APC on the platform of ARD.

However, PPP leaders remained silent on the issue of Ms Benazir’s participation in the APC. Amin Fahim said that the dates of the APC and the issue of Ms Benazir’s participation would be sorted out later on after consultation with the other opposition parties.

“We will hold talks with other opposition parties and sort out all the issues,” Amin Fahim said.

Earlier, ARD Secretary General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra said that both parties had agreed to prepare an agenda and declaration for the APC in consultation with other opposition parties intending to participate in the APC.

He said that they also agreed that Nafis Siddique of the PPP would be the joint candidate of the ARD for National Assembly from NA-250 in Karachi.

‘Good News’

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s deposed-Prime Minister and Chief of Pakistan Muslim League [N] Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said that; “the nation will get a very good new from the All Parties Conference (APC), being organized by his party in London”.

Talking to a delegation of Kashmiris, led by Muhammad Ghalib, President Tehreek-e-Kashmir UK in London, the former Prime Minister said all democratic parties of the country will participate in the APC.

The delegation also included Shakil Ahmad Turabi, Editor-in-Chief South Asian News Agency (SANA).

About Kashmir, he said that the nation will definitely ask those who are taking U-turn on Kashmir.

However, he said a dialogue with India on equal footing is inevitable. However, he opposed President Musharraf for, what he said; “showing unnecessary flexibility on Kashmir”.●