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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz announced on Monday that it would launch a ‘protest movement’ against the government, but gave no plan or a roadmap for its execution.
“Comply with the Supreme Court’s order, quit the prime minister’s office or face protest movement. This is the final verdict of the PML-N and the gist of today’s meeting,” Nawaz Sharif said at a press conference after presiding over a joint meeting of the party’s central working committee and parliamentary group.
The meeting was convened to devise a strategy in the aftermath of last week’s conviction of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani by the Supreme Court on contempt charges for not writing a letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen a money-laundering case against President Asif Ali Zardari.
Accompanied by senior party members, including Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the PML-N chief said his party had decided to ask the Election Commission to clear its position on the issue of the prime minister’s disqualification after his conviction.
He said it was unfortunate that a ‘convicted’ prime minister was adamant to ‘cling to power’.
“If people do not come out (in streets), there will be chaos and anarchy in the country,” Mr Sharif warned. He urged lawyers, traders, students and civil society organisations to join hands to save the nation. “I invite all political parties to come out to save Pakistan,” he said, adding that parties should rise above political and election interests. He said those who did not come out to save the country would be committing treason.
In reply to a question, Mr Sharif showed his readiness to even talk to Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan, who has been savaging the Sharif brothers in public meetings and in the media.
“We will contact Imran Khan. We will contact Jamaat-i-Islami and will approach the true and real successors of Benazir Bhutto.
We will contact Naheed Khan (former political secretary of Ms Bhutto) and Aftab Sherpao. We are launching a strong protest movement (against the government) inside and outside parliament,” he said, adding that the objective of the movement was to establish rule of law, and not to acquire power.
He said there was a feeling within the party that there was a ‘do-or-die’ situation and the time had come to play the role it had done at the time of the movement for restoration of deposed judges in 2009.
In reply to a question, the PML-N chief did not rule out the option of en mass resignation from the assemblies and said all options were under review. “If the rulers do not spare the life of people, there will be a long march.”
He avoided giving a timeframe or deadline for the long march despite repeated questions by reporters.
Sources in the PML-N told Dawn that the issue of en mass resignation had been discussed at the meeting, which lasted almost four hours.
The party was divided on the issue. Hawkish elements favoured quitting the assemblies to force the government to hold elections. Others said they should not leave the field open for the government.
It was through a show of hands that the party leadership came to the conclusion that they should not immediately resign from the assemblies and use the option at an appropriate time, the sources said. According to them, Marvi Memon, who attended the meeting on special invitation, suggested that the party should form committees in districts and cities to mobilise the masses.
Enver Baig, a new entrant to the party and a former PPP senator, suggested that the PML-N leadership should approach the diplomatic corps in Islamabad to apprise them of the prime minister’s legal status after the apex court’s verdict.
An aggressive Khawaja Saad Rafiq lashed out at President Asif Zardari and said he was an “untrustworthy man who does not understand the language of decency”.
Other prominent speakers at the meeting were Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Sabir Shah, Zafar Ali Shah and Ghous Ali Shah. The PML-N secretary general, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, told Dawn that the party had prepared a schedule for rallies and public meetings across the country and it would be released to the media in a day or two.
He said the party’s movement was not aimed at removing the prime minister, but forcing the rulers to implement the court’s orders by writing a letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen the case against the President.
