Opposition to hold APC ‘right after Eid’ to devise strategy against PTI govt

The country’s two major opposition parties – the PML-N and the PPP – have agreed to convene an all-parties conference (APC) immediately after Eidul Azha – which is likely to be celebrated on July 31 – to devise a joint strategy against the PTI-led federal government.

The announcement came after a meeting between a PML-N delegation – comprising Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Ayaz Sadiq – and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the PPP’s headquarters in Punjab’s provincial capital on Monday.
 

The PPP’s central leaders – Qamar Zaman Kaira, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Chaudhry Manzoor and Syed Hassan Murtaza – were also present in the meeting
 

During the meeting, the two parties also agreed to form “a joint action committee” to formulate a common strategy against the government. 
 

The joint action committee will comprise the PML-N’s Khawaja Asif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Rana Sanullah and Marriyum Aurangzeb, and the PPP’s Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman, Farhatullah Babar and Nayyar Bukhari.
 

The committee will also include ANP’s Mian Ifthikar and Haider Khan Hoti, while Mir Kabeer Shahi will represent the National Party of Balochistan. The committee would focus on the way to “rid the nation of this government”.
 

The meeting also discussed the APC’s agenda, which will include coronavirus pandemic, inflation, economic and financial situation of the country as well as flour, sugar and medicine scandals.
 

It also held discussion on the possible amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws, alleged vindictive actions by the government and the PPP’s proposal to bring a no-confidence motion against National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.
 

Talking to the media after the meeting, PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal and the PPP’s Qamar Zaman Kaira said the government has become a threat to the country. “The opposition is of the view that there will be extreme internal and external threats to Pakistan if this government is not sent packing.
 

“The country’s economy has been destroyed due to inexperience and incompetence of the federal government. No state can survive with such a ruined economy in the 21st century.
 

“The two big opposition parties have agreed that getting rid of this incompetent regime is the desire of 220 million people of Pakistan,” Ahsan Iqbal said.
 

Kaira confirmed that there would be an APC immediately after Eidul Azha. “All the parties are on the same page that this government is a big problem itself and a joint strategy is required to get rid of it. We are trying to remove this government as soon as possible because the lives of Pakistanis will become difficult the more it remains in charge of the country,” the PPP leader said.

Iqbal said the government is trying to enact a law by using the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) conditions as an excuse. This new law, he claimed, would be much harsher than NAB laws.

“An order will be issued by the interior secretary and Punjab home secretary, under which the authorities could arrest any person for 90 days without bail. After [these 90 days], the remand could be extended for another 90 days without bail,” he added.

He said any media worker, politician, political workers, trader or businessman could be sent to prison by the government on a bogus chit prepared by prosecutors that accused an individual of the transfer of money through Hawala or Hundi.

“We cannot allow the government to impose ‘black laws’ on Pakistan under the cover of the FATF due to which individual’s freedom of expression is suppressed,” he said.
 Kaira said the “NAB-Niazi nexus” is growing day-by-day.

“There isn’t a single opposition leader in Pakistan today who has not suffered illegal detention or isolation torture at the hands of NAB. This government is also responsible for suffocating the media,” the PPP leader added.

The meeting between Bilawal and the PML-N delegation came a day after PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif held a telephonic conversation with the PPP chairman. Bilawal and his father, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had also hosted JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman in Karachi last week. Rehman is also endeavoring to convene a multi-party conference to dislodge the government.