Crucial meeting of Pakistan Peoples Party, PML [N] leaders today
Pakistan Times Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: As cracks are visible in the ARD after PML [N] distanced itself from the PPP-P, a crucial meeting of top leaders of two main component parties of the alliance has been convened at Islamabad today, Monday as part of damage-control measures already initiated at the topmost level to keep the alliance intact.

As per sources, it was after hectic efforts of President, PPP-P, Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Secretary General PML [N] Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, coupled with intervention from Jeddah and Dubai, that stalwarts from both sides have agreed to sit together to remove the misgivings created as a result of Asif Zardari’s statements regarding PPP-P’s contacts with the Establishment.

Ch. Nisar Ali Khan, Raja Zafarul Haq and Iqbal Zafar Jhagra would represent the PML [N] while Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Senator Raza Rabbani and Raja Pervez Ashraf would take part in the discussion on PPP-P’s behalf, when the negotiations start at the federal capital today, sources said.

The Agenda

The meeting will primarily focus on the ongoing Government-PPP-P talks, and their expected outcome. The PPP-P team will apprise the PML [N] leaders of the current status of these negotiations and party point of view in this regard.

The two sides will also decide the precise date for next meeting of ARD heads that may take place either at Islamabad or Lahore. As per ARD sources, this meeting is most likely to be held on April-28 at federal capital, a day before the scheduled meeting of Central Working Committee of the PML [N] that would chalk out its future strategy vis-à-vis the ARD and its association with the PPP-P.

The PPP-P and the PML [N] seemed at odds following the advent of Asif Ali Zardari, who consistently talked of his party’s contacts with the Establishment, thereby creating doubts in the minds of PML [N] leaders.

Perspective

Ch. Nisar Ali Khan even threatened to boycott any ARD meeting unless PPP-P clarified its position regarding its negotiations with the Government. He also accused the PPP-P of maintaining double standards in its relationship with the opposition parties and the Government.

Raja Zafarul Haq also had similar sentiments about PPP-P’s political conduct.

Despite the fact that PPP-P has, time and again, made it clear that it would not make a solo flight by negotiating a unilateral agreement with the Government, the PML [N] had been smelling a rat in what had been going on between the Government and the PPP-P from the very beginning.

Now, the pro-Establishment utterances of Zardari seem to have proved the last straw on camel’s back, as the two parties are poles apart at the moment.

Optimism

Meanwhile, Secretary General, PML [N] and the ARD, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra has expressed his optimism that the alliance would remain intact.

Talking to The Nation on Sunday, he said the PML [N] attached greater importance to the assurances extended to it by PPP-P President, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, and would not go by the words of Asif Ali Zardari, who, according to him, was not supposed to be a party spokesperson.

About the recent statement of Ch. Nisar Ali Khan, Jhagra said what he [Nisar] wanted to say was that PPP-P should clarify its position with regard to its contacts with the Government before convening of an ARD meeting.●