Pakistan's ex-PM Nawaz Sharif to declare APC Dates by Weekend
By Sheeraz Aslam ‘Pakistan Times’ Political Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ex-Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif is likely to announce a schedule for the planned all parties conference (APC) within the next couple of days.

This may take place with or without approval of his ally and Chairperson Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Ms Benazir Bhutto, a top PML-N leader says.

Expectantly, Nawaz Sharif plans to fix March 18 for the conference in London. His party leaders told the PPP during a meeting in Islamabad on Friday last to give their definite reply by Monday as to what date is acceptable to the party and whether Ms Benazir Bhutto would attend the conference.

"It was not an ultimatum and you can call it an urgent but polite request," said the PML-N leader adding: "But we believe the PPP has to realize the urgency of the proposed APC and understand that further delay would dilute the momentum it has generated in Pakistani politics."

Sharif's swift move that has the potential of causing a major rupture in the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD), of which PML-N and the PPP are dominant components, has been prompted by exasperation at Ms Benazir's unsure response to the proposal and delaying strategy employed during last four weeks.

Both sides have held about half a dozen meetings at senior level in Islamabad to remove what PPP termed its 'reservations' regarding the forum from which the APC should be organized with the dates and the agenda.

While nothing concrete emerged from these meetings, the PPP had suggested that Ms Benazir Bhutto would meet Nawaz Sharif in London later this month to settle these issues.

PML-N information secretary Ahsan Iqbal says that over 34 political parties, groups have accepted the invitation and stressed the need for early convening of the APC.

Yet, he conceded that the announcement of dates at this stage would render irrelevant the proposed meeting between Benazir and Nawaz Sharif.

Recap

As reported earlier, leaders of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) met in Islamabad in a bid to sort out differences over a multi-party opposition conference, which the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is convening in London.

But statements by the leaders after the meeting showed that key issues, including whether ex-Prime Minister Ms Benazir Bhutto who is the Chairperson of PPP would participate still remain unresolved.

After the talks with the top leader of the PPP Parliamentarians Makhdoom Amin Fahim, the PML Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq reported progress in the discussions.

Raja Zafarul Haq said he was informed that Ms Benazir Bhutto was ready to participate in the conference, which is to be held in March.

Agenda

He said the PML-N and Nawaz Sharif would be the host and dates for the conference would be announced early next week.

On his part, PPP-P stalwart Amin Fahim said an agenda for the conference and other related matters would have to be decided by mutual consultation between PPP and PML-N, partners in the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD).

Significantly, Pakistan’s religeo-political alliance, the MMA has already hinted their plans to participate in the APC.

The alliance has in its ranks prominent opposition leaders including JI Chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly of Pakistan Maulana Fazlur Rehman with many others top leaders of the religion-based political parties.●