Bilawal’s four demands: PPP insiders claim government willing to talk

PML-N makes it clear it is not looking for a political battle

KARACHI: Using backdoor channels, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has signalled to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari that it is ready to hold dialogue with his party on its four demands.

Addressing a rally on Oct 17, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari demanded that the federal government appoint a full-time foreign minister, form a parliamentary panel on national security, pass the opposition’s bill to probe the Panamagate  scandal and implement the resolution passed in May last year by an all-parties conference on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).



Bilawal had given the government until Dec 27 to accept his party’s demands, threatening that it would launch a forceful protest campaign against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. On Dec 17, the PPP will commemorate the 10th death anniversary of its slain chief Benazir Bhutta and hold a rally at Garhi Khuda Bux in Larkana.

Sources in the PPP told The Express Tribune that the PML-N conveyed the message through a friend of Zardari and told the PPP’s patriarch that the ruling party does not want to indulge in a political battle with the PPP and wants to negotiate on its demands.

Sources said the PPP has started consultations with senior leaders and most likely the party will show a softer stance toward PML N government by not taking to streets as it had earlier threatened.

“The PPP’s main demand is to stop the political victimisation of its leaders,” a senior PPP leader said, adding that Zardari and others leaders are annoyed with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for using paramilitary Rangers and other agencies against the PPP.

“Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (PML-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman have also been given the task by the prime minister to woo PPP leadership on this issue,” the source said.

On Saturday, Zardari held meetings with the PPP leaders to deliberate different options including talks with the government, as well as a possible alliance against it. Bilawal, Yousuf Raza Gilani, Raja Parvaiz Ashraf, Khursheed Shah, Sherry Rehman, Rehman Malik and others attended the meeting.



“After consultations, the central executive committee of the party will make the final decision about the fate of the movement planned to be announced on the death anniversary of the PPP’s slain leader Benazir Bhutto on December 27,” a leader said.

During the meeting, the Rangers’ raid on the office of Anwar Majeed, close aide to Zardari, also came under discussion. “We are not afraid of this kind of action and will continue our struggle,” the source quoted Zardari as saying.

Zadari was briefed about the arrangements for the upcoming Dec 27 rally. The PPP co-chairperson directed the party leaders to approach the public and develop contacts with them.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2016.