Strategising: PML-N ready to play its trump cards

With calls for resignation rejected, Nawaz comes up with 4 options for PPP.

LAHORE: The main opposition party held on to its position on convicted Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani with a new set of strategies, observers said. Earlier in the day, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz demanded an immediate resignation from Prime Minister Gilani after he was convicted of contempt of court in the NRO implementation case.

While talking to Express news channel, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif lashed out at the Pakistan Peoples Party over its failure to implement the Supreme Court’s directives and also announced that his party would not accept Gilani as the prime minister of Pakistan.

“The court verdict is based on truth and reality,” the PML-N chief said.

According to the sources, Nawaz has agreed upon some suggestions given by party members that will later be endorsed in a high-level meeting to be held in the coming days.

They added that the PPP-led coalition government, however, was not ready to negotiate with the PML-N on any proposals and would rather counter them legally.

Strategy 1 in first phase

Sources said that the PML-N chief has agreed on four options to be proposed to the government: Ask for the resignation of its premier; dissolve the assemblies; establish a care taker set up and announce the date for general elections.

Sources further said that Nawaz has been informed that all four proposals are not acceptable at any cost and the party would have to look into other options.

According to the sources, the PML-N will ask its parliamentary party in parliament to try and stop the proceeding of the house through protests. They said that party MNAs and Senators would be asked to criticise Prime Minister Gilani.

The second trump card that the PML-N plans to use is to create a constitutional deadlock between the provincial and federal governments by refusing to accept Gilani as the prime minister of the country and to stop official correspondence with the federal government.

Strategy 2

Sources further said that if the above suggestions are not honoured by the ruling coalition, the party would then initiate negotiations with the PPP on issues that it may easily agree upon.

According to them, the party will negotiate with the PPP on replacing Yousaf Raza Gilani with another prime minister from the PPP.

Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker in the Punjab Assembly Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan told The Express Tribune said that the Punjab Assembly might pass a resolution against the prime minister; however, he added that a final decision has to be taken in PML-N’s upcoming high-level meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2012.