Fazl fails to persuade Nawaz to attend MPC
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LAHORE: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman held a meeting on Sunday with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif at his Jati Umra residence, but could not get his assurance about attending a proposed multi-party conference (MPC) where he wants to arrange a meeting between him and former president Asif Ali Zardari.
The Nawaz-Fazl meeting lasted for more than two hours. After the meeting, Maulana Fazl told reporters that Mr Sharif agreed that convening of the MPC was inevitable under the current circumstances. To a question about willingness of Mr Sharif to attend the MPC and meet Mr Zardari, the Maulana said: “It is not the case that (Sharif-Zardari) meeting is not possible. Mian Sahib said he would convey his decision in this respect after consulting with PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif.”
He said a date of the MPC was to be decided on Sunday but Hamza Shahbaz was not allowed to meet Shahbaz Sharif at the National Accountability Bureau’s Lahore office.
Speaker issues order for Shahbaz’s production in NA today
“Primarily we do not consider the PTI government a legitimate one and the opposition needs to be gathered on one platform against it,” he added.
A few days ago Maulana Fazl had also called on Asif Ali Zardari who reportedly agreed to lead a PPP delegation in the MPC. Mr Zardari had earlier hinted that he had no issue in meeting with Mr Sharif. He told reporters in Lahore on Saturday that his meeting with Mr Sharif was possible at the MPC. However, he added: “Neither Nawaz needs me nor do I need him as we both are leading our own parties.”
On seeking PML-N’s comments on the Sharif-Fazl meeting, spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb told Dawn that the party endorsed what Maulana Fazl said after the meeting.
Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif has been in the NAB custody since Oct 5 in connection with the Ashiyana housing scam.
Speaker Asad Qaiser has convened a National Assembly session on Monday (today) and issued the order for Mr Shahbaz’s production. Earlier, Mr Shahbaz was brought to parliament by the NAB authorities for Oct 17 session in which he defended his case and alleged “unholy alliance between the government and NAB”.
According to a PML-N leader, Shahbaz Sharif would preside over a parliamentary party meeting ahead of the session and also hold consultation over Maulana Fazl’s request to attend MPC with Nawaz Sharif. He said the PML-N totally agreed on the spirit of the MPC with regard to total failure of the PTI government on economic front and foreign policy. He said the party might have announced its decision on Sunday had the NAB Lahore allowed the Sharif family to meet Shahbaz Sharif.
When asked had Mr Sharif refused to meet Mr Zardari, PML-N Senator Pervaiz Rashid said: “The doors of Jati Umra are open to everyone. We do not refuse meeting anyone.”
Talking about the controversy over a private business jet allegedly flew to Islamabad from Tel Aviv (Israel) via Jordan, Maulana Fazl said: “Half confirmation of arrival of Israeli jet here has been confirmed by the Oman government. Our apprehensions about the Jewish lobby working here are proving right. This is a serious situation.”
Explaining what could be the purpose of Israel to establish a contact with Islamabad, he said: “Israel wants its recognition by Pakistan and to sell its weapons to Islamabad.” The government, however, strongly denied arrival of an Israeli plane here.
Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2018
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