Time not ripe for sending govt home: PPP

PDM playing to the gallery, knowing full well that winds are not sailing in their direction, claims PPP official

LAHORE:

The current circumstances do not merit a drastic move of sending the government packing just as yet, an office-bearer of the PPP said on Saturday, who added that even the Pakistan Democratic Movement's anti-government drive was hobbled by certain limitations.

The official said that even the opposition would most likely not agree to the terms put forward by PPP of bringing the no-confidence first in the National Assembly instead of the Senate.

Speaking to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity, he said that PPP whilst in opposition has more leeway of making inroads in Punjab, especially with PTI at the helm.

He said that if this system raps up and an interim set-up is brought in place, the room for expansion, in specific the room of attracting electables and runners up of the last elections would diminish.

He noted that even PML-N would not want to send this government home, knowing full well that winds are not sailing in their direction. “PML-N would cosy up with the powers before advancing towards a head-on with the PTI government citing the examples of their recent meetings with powerful individuals.”

He said that PPP with its activities will voice concerns of the people, and these activities will help the party to showcase its strength to the populace of Punjab. He said that other political parties have limited their condemnations and protests to press conferences and meetings.

The officials maintained that PPP was the only party that will be providing people with an avenue to voice their concern, with not only the farmer movement but also with the march towards Islamabad.

‘Opp playing to the gallery’

The PPP leader went on to say that PDM will be meeting on 25 January to take decisions on lines of somewhat joining forces with PPP. He said that the PPP does not want to join the PDM. “However, if the PDM wants to join the PPP, their doors are open.”

He said both PDM and PPP were highly unlikely to agree on what method to adopt to send this government home. He said that PML-N too realizes that PTI still enjoys the support of certain quarters owing to which none of the opposition party movements would result in the culmination of the government.

Read Qureshi seeks PPP, PML-N support for South Punjab province

He said that with this realization, opposition parties were just playing to the gallery. He said that even if PML-N agrees to bring no confidence in NA even then, he does not see this PTI government going home just yet.

PPP leader Chaudary Manzoor said that their party through legal means wanted to send this government packing at the earliest, unlike others who have planned to run their anti-government movement days before Ramazan, a month during which political movements go on hold.

He said that PPP has wholeheartedly extended an offer to PDM to join their Islamabad march.

He said that if PDM agrees to bring a no-confidence in NA against speaker NA, PPP will consider this proposal. He said that the PPP would not consider the proposal of bringing no confidence in the Senate as it would be of no purpose and would not endanger the government in any way. He said the PPP wanted to use the combined force of street movement and strong opposition in the Assembly to bring this government down.

A senior PMLN leader on the condition of anonymity said that the PPP should not take the credit for Yousaf Raza Gillani’s win in the senate to its credit.

He said that it was the PTI parliamentarians, who had voted in favour of Gillani in NA, to seek PMLN’s ticket. He said that they had not voted for the PPP candidate for the want of PPP's ticket.

The leader said that PDM, when PPP was a part of it, could have taken the government down easily after senate elections but PPP had other plans and ended up giving this government a new lease of life, adding that the opposition parties will bring this government down very soon, but the question of how was yet to be decided. He said that opposition parties wanted this government out well before the date of the appointment of the new COAS.

He said that opposition parties do not want the matter of appointment to be decided during PTI’s tenure. He said that "something, somewhere was cooking against PTI".

Read more PPP MPA accuses varsity VC of sending 'vulgar, sexual' stickers

PMLN MNA Khurram Dastigar said that if PPP approaches PDM, with their offer, only then they will bring their proposals under consideration. He said that as of now, everything was coming via media and social media. He said that if PPP does not approach PDM, then PDM will proceed with its own course of action.

He pointed out that PDM was most likely to consider preponing their long march to the first two weeks of March. He said that the PDM meeting will reassess the situation and decide the course of action accordingly.

He said that PMLN still wants no confidence in the Chairman Senate, as the opposition has the numbers to pull this off. He said they don’t have the numbers in NA. He said that if Chairman Senate is sent packing, it would also mean that the winds have stopped sailing in PTI’s direction; making it easier to bring the entire setup down much more easily.

Meanwhile, Balochistan National Party (M) leader Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini told The Express Tribune that it was a fact that none of the leading opposition parties wanted to take reins of the country in their hands.

Jehanzeb, whose party was a constituent party of PDM, said that it was a can of worms that no one wants to open. He said that as no opposition party was ready to take reins, there they also realized that this government needs to be stopped forthwith from making a further mess of the state affairs.

The leader said that there was this talk of either forming a neutral government that can at some stage call for fresh elections or let this government complete its terms but under the constant pressure of opposition parties to keep them on the track. He said that there were concerns of some big parties trying to get their wind sailing in their direction, but they should know full well that any party that backstabs this democratic struggle will ultimately pay the price in later elections.