PPP, PML-N to part ways by February, predicts Rashid

Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid has predicted that major opposition parties — Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) —  that are leading the anti-government movement under the PDM banner will part ways by February 2021.

Referring to the PPP chairman’s statement in which he distanced himself from the hard-hitting narrative of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, Rashid said: “Bilawal acted responsibly and clarified that no consensus between opposition parties had evolved to directly name the military leadership during rallies.”

He said this while addressing a news conference in Karachi on Saturday.

On Friday, the PPP chairman had explicitly distanced himself and his party from former premier Nawaz’s stance against the security establishment, saying that he was “shocked” when he heard the former premier mentioning the names of the army chief and ISI DG at PDM’s first rally in Gujranwala.

“It [Sharif’s claims during his speech] came as a shock for me because we don't usually speak this way at rallies,” the scion of the Bhutto dynasty said in an interview with a British media outlet published on Friday, exposing cracks within the 11-party opposition alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), formed to send the PTI-led government packing.

Rashid while commenting on Bilawal’s statement said PPP and PML-N will end their alliance between December 30 and February 20 of the next year.

The minister said Nawaz and his daughter Maryam were entering into the blind alley. “Politicians always resolve dispute through dialogue and they don’t adopt confrontational approach,” he said maintaining that the tougher stance of Nawaz against military establishment will not help him politically.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan will complete his term and negotiations with the opposition are open on all issues except NRO and the corruption cases,” he added.