ARD meets tomorrow to devise strategy: Anti-govt campaign
By Ashraf Mumtaz
LAHORE, March 8: Leaders of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) are due to meet here on Wednesday to discuss how to make the second phase of the anti-government drive result-oriented.
The second phase will be launched with a public meeting on March 11, in Sahiwal. Participants are likely to reiterate their demand for fresh elections under the supervision of a government of national consensus. The demand was first made by some central leaders of the alliance when the government completed only first quarter of its five-year constitutional term.
Alliance's future ties with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal will also come under discussion, despite the fact that the two blocs have different priorities. The MMA is opposed to what President Pervez Musharraf is doing "under US pressure", but it does not support the demand for fresh polls.
At a meeting of its supreme council a few days ago, the religio-political alliance had discussed almost all subjects except the fresh elections. The religious bloc wants the government to evolve a consensus on foreign and economic policies in view of the changed global situation and the threats facing the country.
The ARD is distancing itself from the MMA because of the considerations of two important components, the PPP and the PML-N. The PPP does not like to be seen with the parties disliked by the West. The PML-N, on the other hand, wants to keep itself away from the MMA because cooperation between the two would mean sharing the rightists vote.
The Sharifs were closely monitoring the situation when the MMA was engaged in talks with the government to resolve the LFO controversy. First they had estimated that the talks would fail and a big political change would take place in the country in March-April.
Some party leaders in Pakistan were told that adversities would soon be over and the change of setup would be harbinger of better days for the party. But the PML-N disappointed when the MMA accepted the LFO as part of the Constitution and supported Gen Musharraf for the presidentship.
On this development, the PML-N leadership gave two reactions. First they stated that the government's honeymoon with the MMA would not last longer as the rulers would not be able to meet the ever-growing demands of some MMA leaders. In other words, they thought that soon the ruling party would have to part ways with the religious alliance and sabre-rattling, abandoned temporarily, would resume.
The other reaction was that of "good riddance". According to informed sources, the ARD leaders will discuss the likelihood of bringing some other anti-government parties, including the Awami National Party and Tehrik-i-Insaaf, to its fold. The meeting will also discussed the arrests of nuclear scientists, Wana operation and the general law and order situation in the country.
