Precautionary measures: Govt ally moves to pre-empt opposition alliance

Maulana Fazlur Rehman says Sharifs main obstacle in creation of a opposition alliance.

ISLAMABAD:

As former premier Nawaz Sharif prepares to form a ‘grand opposition alliance’ to dislodge the government, his rivals appear to be getting ready to foil his attempts by winning over some of his potential allies.

Top leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Q, a coalition partner of the government, on Friday met Maulana Fazlur Rehman of Jamiat Ulamae Islam (JUI) to convince him not to join the alliance Sharif was manoeuvring to set up.

Nawaz decided earlier in the week that his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would establish direct contacts with all parties hostile to the government, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), to make a combined opposition.

The idea behind the move, according to PML-N officials, was to gather all groups opposing the administration of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on a ‘minimum agenda’ on ousting the government.

It was, however, not clear whether any such contact was even made by the PML-N and how other groups reacted to them.

But, people privy to the meeting between PML-Q Chief Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Fazl, told The Express Tribune that two parties had discussed the cooperation beyond the “minimum agenda”, that Sharif proposed.

“Chaudhrys have offered Maulana that they can get along with him better if he doesn’t join the alliance,” disclosed an official, who was part of the meeting in which former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi was also present.

Another top PML-Q leader said that President Asif Ali Zardari also wanted Chaudhrys to foil Sharif’s attempts to make an alliance of rightwing parties in Punjab, a move that can help the PML-N in the next elections scheduled for 2013.

According to observers, the political expediency triggered by the elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) can ultimately turn out to be a reason for snap polls in the country.

The PML-N had already decided it would be seeking fresh parliamentary polls ahead of elections for half of Senate seats scheduled for March next year.

It was not immediately known what was decided between the Chaudhrys and Fazl, but a statement by Maulana ahead of the meeting appeared to be downplaying the prospects of his joining the Sharif’s alliance.

“Sharifs are the biggest obstacle in the creation of a grand opposition alliance…they need to change their mindset,” Maulana told reporters in the parliament house before Chaudhrys drove to his residence for what they tried to keep a secret meeting.

An associate of Maulana Fazl said Chaudhrys invited him for rejoining the government he quit last year after developing differences with the administration over the removal of a federal minister from his Jamiat.

“We have gone a long way and now it’s not possible to rejoin the government,” he quoted Maulana as having told the Chaudhrys.

Reacting to Maulana’s statement advising Sharifs to change their mindset, a spokesperson for the PML-N said there was no hurdle in the creation of ‘grand opposition alliance’ and the party was hopeful of taking the move further.

“Things will start taking shape in a couple of days,” PML-N spokesperson Siddiqul Farooque told a private television immediately after Fazl’s statement.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2^nd, 2011.