KARACHI, July 31: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), a major component of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), conceded on Tuesday that the alliance was “dysfunctional” but blamed this on the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s closed door meeting with President General Pervez Musharraf.
“By holding a covert meeting with General Musharraf, Ms Bhutto violated the Charter of Democracy (CoD) and made the ARD practically dysfunctional,” said the central information secretary of the PML-N, Ahsan Iqbal, at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club.
Expressing regret over reports concerning the recent meeting, Mr Iqbal recalled that during the Multi-Party Conference held in London, the PPP and other opposition parties had adopted a unanimous declaration holding General Musharraf responsible for all the crises besetting Pakistan and demanding that he quit office immediately, since transparent elections under his supervision were not considered possible. “We do not know what compels Ms Bhutto to accept General Musharraf as president,” commented Mr Iqbal.
Clarifying his party’s position with regard to the formation of the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) in the presence of the ARD, Mr Iqbal said that the APDM comprises all democratic forces, including secular, religious and nationalist parties. “It is not true to say that the PPP did not join the APDM because of the presence of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA),” he said. “It was up to Ms Bhutto, whether she wanted to sit with the opposition or preferred General Musharraf. We are grieved that Ms Bhutto chose the latter.”
However, Mr Iqbal was unable to provide a satisfactory answer when asked which clause of the CoD permits any of the signatory parties, particularly the PML-N, to forge an alliance with the MMA while being aware of its role in the passage of 17th Amendment and that the party is currently ruling two provinces. “The MMA did not sign the charter of democracy,” replied the PML-N representative.
Maintaining that the meeting between General Musharraf and Ms Bhutto has not affected the significance of the CoD, Mr Iqbal remarked that “the people of the country will hold the party [that violated the CoD] accountable in next elections.” He added that the ARD meeting can only be convened when all the constituent parties agree to abide by the CoD in letter and spirit, otherwise the alliance will remain dysfunctional.
The PML-N leader said that the APDM will launch a decisive struggle to end the era of General Musharraf. In reply to a question, Mr Iqbal said that his party’s leader Mian Nawaz Sharif would return to Pakistan before the general elections.
KARACHI, July 31: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), a major component of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), conceded on Tuesday that the alliance was “dysfunctional” but blamed this on the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s closed door meeting with President General Pervez Musharraf.
