KARACHI, Nov 13: PPP chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim has demanded that the regime must ensure “fair play” instead of trying to install a government of its own choice through coercive means.
“We had hoped that elections will be a landmark in ushering in clean and healthy politics. But, unfortunately, that is not true as horse trading is going on and members of parliament are being coerced to change their loyalties, which is not understandable,” Mr Fahim told newsmen at the airport on arrival from Islamabad on Wednesday.
The Parliamentarians president drove to Nawabshah to condole with the Zardari family on the death of Asif Ali Zardari’s mother.
Though Mr Fahim did not specify any instance of pressure tactics being used by the regime for installing a government of its choice, analysts believe his complaint was an indicator of the problems caused by a rather independent and embarrassing line Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat had taken on coalition with the PML-Q.
Asked for his own position vis-a-vis the stand taken by Mr Hayat, who had even said that if any top post was offered to him he would not refuse it, Mr Fahim said: “PPP is a big party and every one has the right to express his views. But party discipline has to be maintained. I am not prepared to doubt integrity of those who are committed unless they cross the limit”.
In reply to a question whether the PPP had been taken into confidence by the regime on the formula for the formation of a government, Mr Fahim said the formula for a government of national consensus had been mooted out by him which was also being supported by the present government. “Its implementation is awaited. We are anxious to see how it is being done,” he said.
In view of the rapidly evolving understanding between the GNA and the MMA over the Legal Framework Order, when Mr Fahim was asked if he had decided to sit in the opposition, he said: “We have always held dialogue on principles. Whether we will be part of the government or sit in the opposition, will be decided when the assembly session is called. For the moment consultations are going on. Let’s see what happens. The assembly session has not been called yet”.
In reply to a question on his position vis-a-vis the most controversial clauses of the LFO, the Parliamentarians chief said: “We are open to negotiations on the basis of certain principles to which we are committed. We don’t want deadlock, we want negotiations to proceed. The present deadlock was not created by the politicians but by those who want to impose their will”.
Asked to explain the change in the PPP’s stance on a coalition with the MMA, especially in view of Benazir Bhutto’s recent interview which belied her party’s earlier backing for Maulana Fazlur Rehman for the prime minister’ slot from the ARD platform, Mr Fahim said: “The ARD had taken a position and now there is a talk of an understanding between the GNA and MMA. But the situation is not yet clear. Let’s wait and see. They are meeting here (in Karachi) tonight.”
PPP’s acting secretary-general Mian Raza Rabbani told a questioner that “a broad understanding over Maulana Fazl had been arrived at in the ARD framework. But the PPP had reservations about MMA’s stance over foreign policy and internal policies. Therefore, it was considered to resolve these differing perceptions, because for us policy matters were more important than the post of prime minister or speaker”.
Mr Rabbani was confident that his party would form a government in Sindh and warned that if PPP’s effort was blocked by the regime it would be a grave historical mistake. The PPP, he said, would resist all such attempts.
He did not agree with a questioner that Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan had sabotaged the PPP’s bid for the top slot and said the elder politician had acted to forge national unity on the basis of the ARD principles. The ARD chief, he said, had acted to organize anti-Musharraf forces on a platform and he had been successful.
