Talks with all groups soon, says Fahim: Formation of govt
By Faraz Hashmi
ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: The People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) on Saturday indicated that it will shortly initiate dialogue with Pakistan Muslim League (Q) and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal keeping all its options open to form the future government.
“I have come with an open mind,” PPP President Makhdoom Amin Fahim told a hurriedly-called press conference here soon after his arrival from London where he met PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto.
Mr Fahim, who appeared relaxed after his London sojourn, sounded highly conciliatory and expressed readiness to talk to any political party putting all the past acrimonies and ideological differences aside.
The PPP President, who is being tipped as a contender for the prime minister’s slot, vowed to take the revived democratic process ahead and strengthen the elected institution.
“We will talk to all the democratic forces with the objective that the elected institutions would complete their term.”
Asked to identify common ground on which PPP could reach an understanding for forming future government with PML(Q), he said, they had not yet begun dialogue with any political party. However, he did not rule out the possibility of cooperation between the PML(Q) and PPP, which have emerged as the two largest groups in the election.
About some traditional differences with Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal which would form the third largest parliamentary group, he recalled that at the time of forming People’s Parliamentarian Party, he had stated that it was a new entity and would be open for dialogue with all democratic forces.
“We will try to make possible which now appears impossible,” he asserted.
Regarding the future working relationship with the president, he said the political parties would have to make their moves within the given framework.
For national reconciliation all the stake holders including the president would have to demonstrate some flexibility, he added.
On the statements given by Benazir Bhutto calling for a fresh elections, he said, the process was monitored by her and she had given the statement in view of initial complaints. However, she agreed that the democratic process should be carried forward and PPP should look ahead for forming the future government.
About his talks with Benazir, he said, he discussed future strategy of the party and post-election scenario with her.
To a question that whether the PPP would accept those who had left the party, he said they were ready to talk to anybody to strengthen national reconciliation. During his short stay in London, he said, he did not meet chief of MQM Altaf Hussain.
