KARACHI: Opposition parties may forge a joint front: Pre-election strategy
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, Aug 30: There is a move among the mainstream political parties and alliances, opposed to the Legal Framework Order 2002, to work out some sort of a broad-based electoral understanding for withdrawing their candidates against one of their potential candidate in each constituency to meet the challenge of the king’s party, sources close to the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) confided to Dawn.
No doubt, there is a group in the PML (N) which is not prepared to buy the idea, particularly when it comes to join hands with the PPP owing to their fundamental differences on Kashmir, Kalabagh dam and matters relating to defence, yet the plan appears to be gaining ground.
In the PPP ranks and files the situation is not different from the PML (N) in which the hawks were responsible for landing the nation into the present quagmire and difficulties.
However, a saner group, which is close to the PPP Parliamentarians, favours the idea and wants to reach an understanding with not only the PML (N) but all those parties who are against amendments to the constitution by one man instead of following the procedures as laid down in the 1973 Constitution.
“We can overcome the opposition within the two mainstream political parties — PML (N) and PPP — and can work out a seat- to-seat adjustment on the basis of electoral records of the last three elections, but the biggest hurdle being faced by the emissaries is on the front of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), which does not see eye to eye on some hot issues, like Afghanistan and Kashmir,” the sources observed.
The Jamaat-i-Islami, which has emerged as a moderate religious party under the leadership of Qazi Hussain Ahmad, according to sources, is not opposed to the idea and is prepared to reach an understanding on a minimum programme. Likewise, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan and Markazi Jamiat-i-Ahle Hadis are also willing to extend cooperation. However, the leadership of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazal and Sami) have reservations not on the domestic scene but on matters relating to foreign policy, as both the JUIs are against the US policies in the region, particularly with reference to Afghanistan.
During the process of filing nomination papers, the move was put to the back-burner, but after repeated assertion by the authorities not to allow any member of Nawaz family return to Pakistan nor to see Benazir Bhutto playing a role in politics, saner elements in both the parties have again revived the idea of electoral adjustment.
According to informed sources, the PML and the PPP officials held talks with ARD chief Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan and requested the octogenarian politician to bring the two parties close to each other for reaching an electoral understanding against the candidates of the king’s party.
The sources are of the view that if both the parties joined hands on seat-to-seat adjustment in Punjab and Sindh, they could also be able to strike some seat adjustments with not only the MMA but also with smaller parties.
Gen Musharraf may, after relinquishing charge of the chief of army staff (COAS) — his core constituency which he at the moment has no intention to forego — lead the party if strategy worked out by his political mentors proved of some consequences in the October elections.
This leaf could have been taken from the history of Field Marshal Ayub Khan and Gen Ziaul Haq, who after consolidation of their regimes had involved in raising the king’s party.
Ayub Khan himself had adorned the presidency of the PML (convention) after relinquishing the charge of the army, while Gen Zia could not get the chance due to his sudden exit from the scene, otherwise the PML (N) was prepared to offer him the party office.
Whatever the outcome of the efforts of the emissaries, it is likely that situation will only be clear after publication of the final list of candidates, but before withdrawal date.
