ISLAMABAD, Dec 26: The leadership of combined opposition is holding a crucial meeting here on Tuesday (today) to discuss the situation in Balochistan, tribal areas and the issue of Kalabagh dam and to chalk out a strategy regarding a country-wide agitation, which it had suspended in the aftermath of the Oct 8 earthquake.
Insiders said that the major focus of the meeting would be a one-point agenda of a country-wide campaign to get rid of President Gen Musharraf as head of state.
Opposition leaders in their Dec 20 meeting had hinted at holding another meeting when they had unanimously rejected the parliamentary committee on earthquake to re-launch its anti-government campaign, which had been halted as a goodwill gesture in the wake of the quake.
Besides, both major opposition alliances, the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), leaders of opposition parties represented in the parliament will also participate in the meeting, which is being hosted by Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in Rawalpindi.
ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, leader of opposition in Senate Mian Raza Rabbani, leader of opposition in National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rahman, MMA president Qazi Hussain Ahmed, PML-N leaders Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Pakistan Tehrik Insaaf chairman Imran Khan, Awami National Party (ANP) president Senator Asfandyar Wali Khan and Amanullah Kannrani will participate in the meeting.
The decision to hold a meeting on Tuesday was endorsed by the ARD in its meeting on Dec 23.
Deputy parliamentary leader of MMA Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said the combined opposition leaders’ meeting will discuss all issues which were endangering the country’s integrity.
PML-N information secretary Siddiqul Farooq told Dawn that the leaders’ meeting would ponder over the situation arising from the military operation in Balochistan and the situation prevailing in tribal areas due to the army operation there besides the Kalabagh dam issue which would be on top of the agenda.
He said senior opposition leaders will also discuss expansion of the opposition by convening an all-parties conference on these subjects in the near future.
He said that in the opinion of the opposition the government was playing havoc with national integrity by initiating military operations in Balochistan and tribal areas and also raising the issue of Kalabagh dam “in order to divide the nation”.
