LAHORE, Jan 18: The PPP sees President Asif Ali Zardari’s ‘wisdom’ behind a peaceful solution to Dr Tahirul Qadri’s sit-in while the PML-N has termed the Islamabad long march declaration a ‘victory for the PPP-led government’ and a respectable exit for the Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran chief.

Governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood said credit should be given to President Zardari for successful negotiations with Dr Qadri.

“Democracy has strengthened and the image of Pakistan has improved after the peaceful solution to the long march. Once again the PPP has demonstrated its policy of reconciliation and ability to handle crises,” Mahmood said.

PML-N Senator Pervaiz Rashid says the PPP did not take his party into confidence while finalizing the agreement with Dr Qadri because there is nothing in it to be consulted for. “The agreement has been drafted only to give an impression to Mr Qadri’s devotees that their struggle has borne fruit,” he told Dawn.

Going through the agreement one could say with confidence that not a single point of the charter of demands of Mr Qadri had been accepted, he said, adding the committees to review the constitution of the Election Commission had been made only to please him (Qadri). “Practically speaking the agreement is nothing but just a piece of paper having no impact on electoral process,” he made it clear.

Pervaiz Rashid further said the PML-N was very happy that ordeal of the people, especially those present in the long march, had come to an end. “And Mr Qadri who was a staunch critic of the PPP-led government has now become its ally,” he said.

He criticized the federal government for not dealing Dr Qadri’s long march wisely. “Had the government acted wisely the nation would not have gone through such an agony for five days,” he said.

Rashid said the PML-N led opposition parties’ stand to safeguard democracy failed Dr Qadri to implement his agenda. “Dr Qadri has failed in his design and the outcome of his effort remains zero plus zero,” he said.

PPP’s Federal Minister Samina Ghurki said the PPP had again proved itself a major democratic party by handling the threat to democracy. She said the PPP showed flexibility and found out a peaceful solution to the issue. She said in the past PPP struggled for restoration of democracy and never cowed down to any dictator.

Lahore PPP chapter women wing president Faiza Malik said the PPP acted wisely and did not let the plot against democracy succeed.