LAHORE, June 30: Former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif, away from the country for eight years and five and a half years respectively, will be seeing their junior allies in the ARD for the first time at a meeting in London on Sunday.
The PPP chairperson had left the country before the formation of the 16-party alliance, and Mr Sharif was banished to Saudi Arabia only a week after the coalition of what were once sworn enemies came into being.
The two leaders were not allowed to participate in such an activity in Saudi Arabia, where Mr Sharif stayed for five years before moving to London in January this year; and UAE, where Ms Bhutto spends most of her time while in self-exile.
Political observers here are of the view that the London meeting would be the most important of all the coalition held so far in the absence of the two leaders.
Senior PPP and PML-N leaders, who have already arrived in London, held informal consultations about the Sunday meeting on Friday and are due to hold another similar session on Saturday.
Although signing of the Charter of Democracy (CoD) by smaller parties, as the PPP and the PML-N have already signed it, is on top of the agenda, the political situation in the country and the conglomerate’s future course of action will also come under discussion.
The meeting is being held at a time when the ruling PML has already declared that it would re-elect Gen Musharraf as president-in-uniform. The ruling party chief also said recently the role of the army from politics could not be brought to an end unless democratic institutions grow in strength.
These views of the ruling party president may also come under discussion at the ARD meeting.
Knowledgeable sources say that Mr Sharif is under pressure from his party to seek an undertaking from the PPP that it would not take part in the elections if President Pervez Musharraf was still on the political scene. He is also being asked by his colleagues in the party to ask the PPP if it was in favour of a grand opposition alliance, of which the MMA was also a part.
ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim will preside over the meeting, spread over two sessions.
