ISLAMABAD, Sept 28: After months of ambiguity, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday finally pulled out of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) by refusing to attend a meeting of what once was the largest opposition grouping.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim claimed that the alliance was still intact despite the PML-N’s decision to quit the group.
Mr Fahim said the ARD would soon be reorganised and its vacant offices would be filled. He said the next meeting of the ARD would be held in London on Oct 3.
He said the Friday’s meeting was attended by 10 component parties, including PML-Qayyum, the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi, PML-Qasim and Jamiat Ahle Hadith.
PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq told Dawn that he was contacted by Mr Fahim on telephone to inform him about the ARD meeting. However, the PML-N leader said he had told Mr Fahim that it would not be possible for them to attend the meeting. He said the PML-N made all efforts to keep the ARD intact, but they (the PPP) chose to go for negotiation with the military regime.
Mr Haq said presently they were struggling from the APDM platform. He expressed the hope a time might come when the PPP would also join the struggle for democracy.
Mr Fahim blamed the PML-N for the split, saying that the party decided to form the APDM hours after the conclusion of the multi-party conference (MPC) in London without taking the PPP into confidence.
He said the ARD would accord a warm welcome to PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto on her return to the country next month.
He said they did not want to create a situation leading to another army general’s takeover. He said the ARD wanted smooth transition to democracy.
Mr Fahim said the ARD would continue its struggle to bring all institutions of the country in the ambit of the Constitution. He said if the government did not respond to the PPP’s proposals, then the party could resign from the assemblies before the presidential election on Oct 6. He said the meeting of the parliamentary groups of the PPP in the National Assembly, Senate and all provincial assemblies would be held on Oct 5 to finalise the strategy for the presidential election.
It is interesting to note that all offices of the ARD, except the chairman, have now fallen vacant after PML-N’s decision to quit the alliance. All main offices of the ARD were in possession of PML-N leaders as Makhdoom Javed Hashmi was its president, Tehmina Daultana vice-president, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra general secretary and Syed Zafar Ali Shah information secretary.
