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| March 22, 2006 | Wednesday | Safar 21, 1427 |
PPP discusses party reforms, national politics
ISLAMABAD, March 21: A meeting of the Pakistan People’s Party was held in Dubai on Tuesday to discuss some “issues of urgent nature,” sources told Dawn. They said that the meeting reviewed the political situation in the country and also took up the issue of internal party organisation.
The sources said that Benazir Bhutto had summoned party leaders and some office-bearers to Dubai on a very short notice.
The meeting was attended by PPP president and ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim, secretary-general Raja Pervez Ashraf, PPP Sindh president Syed Qaim Ali Shah, PPP Punjab president Qasim Zia, political secretary to the chairperson Naheed Khan, Senator Dr Safdar Abbasi and head of the party’s Central Policy Planning Committee Sherry Rehman.
The sources said PPP leaders also reviewed the current political situation in the country with reference to recent Senate elections.
They said that Mr Fahim apprised Ms Bhutto about his meetings with leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) about the launching of an anti-government movement.
Party’s deputy secretary general and Senator Mian Raza Rabbani could not attend the meeting because of visa problems. As the meeting had been convened in a very short time, the sources said, Mr Rabbani could not manage to get visa for the UAE.
According to a party spokesman, Ms Bhutto held a meeting with a team of the US-based National Democratic Institute (NDI) on Monday to discuss “party reforms.” In that meeting, Ms Bhutto was assisted by Raja Pervez Ashraf, Sherry Rehman and Dr Safdar Abbasi.
The party’s spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said the NDI delegation was led by Ivan Doherty. He was accompanied by Mary Cummins, NDI’s outgoing country director, and Sheila Fruman, the incoming country director for Pakistan.
The meeting discussed issues related to the current political situation in the country, the role of the NDI in strengthening political parties through training programmes and on the importance of holding free, fair and transparent elections in 2007.
Mr Babar said that Ms Bhutto explained the critical need for a neutral government and a level playing field to facilitate Pakistan’s transition to democracy in wide ranging discussions. A PPP paper, proposing steps to stop rigging in polls, was also discussed in the meeting.
The PPP paper titled ‘How to Stop Rigging in Elections 2007’ recommends various steps, including formation of an interim government of national consensus, a national consensus on appointment of impartial members of the election commission, bringing in the Intelligence Bureau, using transparent ballot boxes and independent parallel vote count.
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