LAHORE, March 4: Functional Muslim League President Pir Pagara’s willingness to form an electoral alliance with the PML(N) has deeper implications than a mere cooperation between the two erstwhile adversaries.
His reluctance to include the PML(QA) which, like the Pir, claims to enjoy the support of the military government, in whatever arrangement is to be finally worked out makes the whole game plan more mysterious.
“The Pir is a big game hunter. He has his own strategy”, said a PML(N) leader on the condition of anonymity.
Apparently, the Pir’s initiative may make it difficult for the PML(N) to join hands with the PPP or religious parties. He thinks that religious parties stand no future and will be wiped out in the next elections, whenever they are held. As for the PPP, he is of the view that it will be decimated, notwithstanding claims by some aides of Ms Benazir Bhutto that the PPP will emerge as the largest party in the elections.
Analysts say that the Pir, so convinced about the bleak future of the two, will not like his new-found ally to join hands with them, although the PML(N) regards religious parties as its natural allies, and is willing to join hands with the PPP if the rulers push it back to the wall.
Many people know that until recently, the Sindhi leader has been passing lacerating remarks against the Sharifs and predicting that the day was not far off when their industrial empire would be auctioned and he would be among the bidders to purchase the assets.
But now there is sea change in his thinking — and quite unexpectedly— there is a positive response from the PML(N) leadership despite the fact that the two sides are poles apart as far as their points of view on various political issues are concerned.
The PML(N), for example, does not recognize Gen Musharraf as a legitimate ruler as he had grabbed power after overthrowing a government having the heaviest ever mandate. Then, like the APC and the ARD, the PML(N) also demands the restoration of the 1973 constitution and gives no right to Gen Musharraf to amend the constitution.
Pir Pagara, on the other hand, has quite a different approach on all these issues.
PML(N) chairman Raja Zafarul Haq told Dawn on Monday that he would soon meet the Functional Muslim League president as a follow-up to the talks the two parties held to explore the possibility of mutual cooperation. He said the contours of cooperation would be determined in the light of the future talks.
For the time being, he said, “electoral adjustments” were more acceptable to the PML(N) than election alliance with the FML. He said he would ensure that his party was not used by someone for his own interests.
Raja Zafarul Haq wants to keep option of joining hands with the PPP and religious parties open, depending upon the commonality of interests.
Some people say that Pir Pagara’s hostile attitude towards the PML(QA) at this juncture carries a clear message for the military rulers that they should now choose between the party of Mian Azhar and the one led by him.