18 November 2004	Thursday	05 Shawwal 1425

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KARACHI, Nov 17: Members of the central committee of the Pakistan People's Party-Parliamentarians seem to be unsure about the possibility of success of their party's campaign against the Musharraf regime, without hinging it on social agenda affecting the broad masses, party sources said here on Wednesday.

The PPP-P central executive would meet in Islamabad on Nov 19 to take a position on the planned countrywide protest rallies, a day before the meeting of the top leadership of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD). The PPP-P has planned countrywide protest rallies.

The ARD would take stock of the evolving political and security environment and firm up its position on various issues, including the MMA's planned agitation on Gen Musharraf's uniform issue here on Nov 28.

Despite ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim's reported statement that the alliance had in principle reached an understanding with the MMA on the anti-government rallies, Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Liaquat Baloch appeared non-committal on the understanding.

According to sources, the ARD would ensure its token presence at the MMA rallies if it is invited by the right-wing alliance. A two-member committee had been formed for this purpose, they said.

The majority of the PPP central committee members was of the view that the thrust of the anti-government campaign should be against the retention of military post along with the presidency by Gen Pervez Musharraf. However, a section was insisting that unless a movement was based on social programmes, it had very little chances of success, said the sources.

They believe that a one-point agenda is not enough, and insist that the future anti-government campaigns must have thrust on unemployment, rapidly deteriorating law and order, minimum wages issue, right of work, land reforms, housing and education. Agitation on the issue of uniform only would be counterproductive, they argue.

"If Gen Musharraf, in the end, decides to relinquish his military post to save the 17th amendment, it will take the wind out of the opposition's sail and demolish it for a long time," they contend, "it is, therefore, pertinent that the opposition platform should identify itself in real terms with the issues affecting people."

Sources also suspect that the PPP-P might be offered inducements to spearhead the anti-government agitation, as was done by the leaders of the then Democratic Action Committee (DAC) when they had desperately been seeking Z. A. Bhutto's cooperation against Ayub Khan.

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