Gillani’s election ‘a result of sacrifices made by late Benazir’: Fahim
'Pakistan Times' Political Desk

ISLAMABAD: Makhdoom Amin Fahim, President, Pakistan Peoples Party-Parliamentarians (PPPP), Monday urged all the democratic forces to launch joint efforts so as all the issues being faced by the people of Pakistan be resolved as a first priority.

Terming the day of election of Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani “a result of the sacrifices made by late PPP Chairperson Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and the PPP workers for revival of the democratic order”, Fahim said that due to these offerings, the country was brought back to the rule of masses.

“Let us not allow anyone to derail this democratic process on any pretext. We would have to take along all the political parties so as no autocrat could derail the democratic process on the pretext that the politicians fight for petty personal gains.

We would have to uphold the democratic norms and work together for resolving the issues being faced by the masses including the price hike,” he said adding that the politicians from both sides of the House had a history for freedom struggle.

“I call upon all the political workers to keep discipline and respect all the political leaders and no leader should be insulted or disgraced,” he said referring to the remarks passed by political workers during the speech of nominated Opposition Leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

Denouncing the slogans raised in the Parliament House, Fahim said the democracy is fragmentary without discipline.

“The Speaker, as a custodian of the House, should ensure that discipline is maintained in the House.

Fahim extended heartfelt felicitation to the newly elected Prime Minister Syed Yusouf Raza Gillani, saying that Gillani was like his brother and a friend.

Speaker Dr. Fehmida Mirza said as this was the day of ascertainment of Leader of the House, the political workers could not control their passions and raised slogans. She assured that discipline would be maintained in the House in future.

Gillani invites Fahim

Prime Minister-elect Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has invited the veteran party leader Mukhdoom Amin Fahim to preside over a consultative meeting Monday on allocation of ministries, sources said.

Before the National Assembly session, Yousaf Raza Gilani met Mukhdoom Amin Fahim at his house to discuss the formation of government in detail, the sources said.

“Amin Fahim is my elder brother and we have no differences at all and we will run the government in consultation with him,” he told reporters after the meeting.

On his part, Amin Fahim said there was no chance of a rift in the party. He however said he would not have any role in the government.

He said that he had resigned as president of ARD because democracy “is now restored”.

Neither he nor his son would accept any place in the government, he said.

Fahim Quits as ARD President

Makhdoom Amin Fahim has resigned from the president office of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD).

In a letter addressed to acting secretary general of ARD Abdul Qadeer Khamosh, he wrote that he is resigning from the leadership of the alliance because ARD has achieved its goal of restoration of democracy in the country.

After election of the new national assembly the objectives of the struggle for restoration of democracy have been achieved, he stated in the letter.

The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy was constituted about eight years ago under the leadership of veteran politician Late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan. Pakistan People’s Party, Muslim League-N and other major opposition parties were the members of the alliance.

However, prior to the recent general elections Muslim League-N and other parties had formed All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), another alliance of the opposition parties, leaving the People’s Party as the only major political force in the ARD.●