KARACHI, May 7: A gulf between the two major components of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, widens as reports of Benazir Bhutto’s back-channel contact with the ruling establishment gain ground.
Insiders privy to the actual extent of disenchantment between the PPP and the PML-N said that it was matter of time before a parting of the ways took place.
They added that the two major components of the ARD differed over the role of the religious alliance Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in the ARD movement against the regime, strategy in the face of President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s stated desire of getting himself re-elected from the present assemblies and recurring reports of back-channel negotiations between the ruling establishment and the PPP.
They pointed out that reports of a “deal” between President Musharraf and Ms Bhutto had upset not only PML-N workers but also PPP loyalists who feared that the party would lose credibility if it struck such a deal.
Sources in the PML-N and the PPP expressed their unawareness about the back-channel contacts of the PPP with the regime and observed that they wanted to know the factual position, adding that they did not want to give any concession to the present regime.
“There is some confusion over some recent statements of Benazir Bhutto. And, yes, PML-N workers are concerned about it. But the feelings of PPP workers on rumours of a deal is not different from those of our workers,” PML-N leader Sardar Rahim told Dawn.
He, however, maintained that the PML-N and the PPP were united at the platform of the ARD and it was their consensus demand that the popular leadership of the country -- ie Mian Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto -- should be allowed to return home and contest the next general elections.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a provincial leader of the PPP said that like many other leaders he too had no knowledge of the party’s back-channel negotiations with General Musharraf.
“A very few people in the party know what is going on, but I have no trust in these generals who want the PPP’s support after failing to improve the country’s economic and social situation. It is my own opinion that the PPP should not be a part of a military government,” he said.
The leader, who maintains a direct contact with party workers, admitted that the PPP workers did not want to give any concession to General Musharraf and a decision that might pave the way for his re-election as president would have a negative impact on the party’s popularity.
PPP deputy secretary-general Senator Raza Rabbani categorically rejected reports of a deal with the regime. But he admitted to backdoor contacts. “The government was in contact with other opposition parties and it has similar contacts with the PPP through informal channels. The contacts are all about holding of free, fair and transparent elections through an independent election commission and in the presence of a neutral caretaker setup. Nothing has been formalised.”
Mr Rabbani made it clear that all parties in the ARD, particularly the PML-N, knew very well that the deal issue was the government’s propaganda and by spreading such rumours it wanted to divide the opposition and sabotage the historic document of the Charter of Democracy signed by the PPP and the PML-N.
On the other hand, the PML-N sources observed that if PPP supported the regime in any form, it would be beneficial to their party. “The people of Pakistan will reject any party which supports the military dictatorship. Our workers are happy that they would get rid of the PPP if it strikes a deal with General Musharraf,” said a central leader of PML-N, asking not to be named.
The sources acknowledged the need for a grand opposition alliance in the larger interest of genuine democracy.
They said that by isolating the MMA, the PPP was only fulfilling the agenda of the Americans who did not want any role of religious parties in Pakistani politics, particularly after the general elections scheduled to be held this year.
“We could not launch a decisive movement to overthrow the military government due to the reluctance of the PPP to involve the MMA in our struggle for the restoration of genuine democracy and the only beneficiary of this reluctance is the present government. We want a final movement but Benazir Bhutto wants to participate in the elections to be held under the umbrella of this military government,” lamented the PML-N central leader.
KARACHI, May 7: A gulf between the two major components of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, widens as reports of Benazir Bhutto’s back-channel contact with the ruling establishment gain ground.
