LAHORE, Dec 28: Only a day after stepping down as president of the PML-Q, Mian Azhar, on Saturday, contacted two arch foes of the government and also hinted at the possibility of mending ties with the exiled Sharifs, saying “there is no final word in politics.”
However, he made it clear that “so far” he was not in direct or indirect contact with the Sharifs, banished to Saudi Arabia a couple of years ago.
Mian Azhar was invited to a cup of tea by ARD president Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, the date and time for which would be decided according to their mutual convenience.
The PML-Q leader invited Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chairman Imran Khan for a meeting at his residence on Sunday.
About a week ago, Mian Azhar had invited the Nawabzada and the cricketer-turned-politician to a reception he had hosted for Prime Minister Jamali. The ARD president is like a red rag to President Gen Musharraf, while Imran Khan is an irritant for the Chaudhris of Gujrat.
After inviting Mian Azhar to his residence for a cup of tea, the Nawabzada said it was reflective of his “social contacts,” and would not lead to any change in his thinking about the status of the assemblies and the Q-led government.
Mian Azhar told Dawn that he had always held the ARD president in high esteem and had not uttered a single word against him even when Nawaz Sharif was mounting attacks on him because of his anti-government policies.
Asked what he had common with the Nawabzada for which he had first invited him and then was reciprocated, Mian Azhar said he always respected the octogenarian leader.
When it was pointed out that the Nawabzada did not recognize the assemblies and the Q-led government being the product of rigged elections and horse trading, he said this was the personal opinion of the ARD chief.
The former PML-Q president said now that assemblies had come into existence, political parties would have to behave very responsibly and play their role in strengthening the democratic process.
Being sovereign in their working, he said, it was for the assemblies to map out the future course for the country.
“Nawabzada’s role has always been in favour of democracy,” replied Mian Azhar, when it was pointed out that the senior leader wanted to pull down the system which, in his opinion, lacked legitimacy.
“What’s the possibility of your jumping on the Nawabzada’s bandwagon in the changed situation,” he was asked.
Mian Azhar said he was a member of the PML-Q and would remain so. In case of any difference on any policy matter, he would give his point of view to the leadership.
“There’s an impression that you may ask the ARD president to serve as a bridge between you and the exiled Sharifs whose party, the PML-N, is a constituent of the opposition alliance,” he was told.
Mian Azhar said “for the time being” he had no direct or indirect contact with the Sharifs. But, he said, he could not say something for the future. In politics, he said, there was no final word.
To substantiate his point, he said there was a time when Nawaz Sharif branded Ms Bhutto as a security risk, but in the changed scenario, he called her his sister. Similarly, the military regime was once deadly opposed to the PPP, but now holding talks with it.
About the justification for having so cordial relations with Imran Khan, who was also a staunch opponent of the Jamali government, the former PML-Q president said the PTI chief was a good human being. However, he said, on political issues he might have an opinion at variance with Imran Khan’s.
He said Imran Khan was also a classmate and a friend of Mr Jamali.
Asked who, in his opinion, could lead the PML-Q better, Azhar sarcastically said except for himself everybody else in the party had leadership qualities and was honest.
Abida’s dinner: PML-Q leaders Begum Abida Husain and Syed Fakhr Imam hosted a dinner on Saturday which was participated in by Mian Muhammad Azhar, former COAS Gen Jehangir Karamat, MMA leader Liaquat Baloch, PPP leader Haneef Ramay and others.
Dr Pervaiz Shah, President, Pakistani American Political Action Committee, was the chief guest.