No-trust motion: Opposition labours to put word into action

Maulana Fazl meets Chaudhry brothers; holds talks with Zardari over telephone

LAHORE:

A day after the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) announced its plans for bringing a no-trust motion against the government, the opposition on Saturday kicked its strategic preparations into high gear to muster support for its ambitious plan.

The chief of the anti-government alliance, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, met with the leadership of the ruling party’s ally, Chaudhry brothers of the PML-Q, at their residence on Saturday, while PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif is expected to meet the PML-Q leaders on Sunday (today) at their residence.

Similarly, former president and PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, in a telephonic conversation, assured Fazl of fully supporting the motion against the prime minister. Zardari expressed his willingness to throw weight behind the move as Fazl inquired after his health. The two discussed the overall political situation of the country.

On Friday during a news conference, the JUI-F chief had announced that the participants of the PDM meeting unanimously decided to bring a no-confidence motion against the government, adding that the alliance would constitute a committee to peel off allies of the ruling party to put the word into action.

However, he added, the members of the committee would be announced later. The fate of the opposition’s no-trust motion hinges on the defection of government allies or its lawmakers. During the telephonic conversation with Zardari, Fazl also said that he would soon contact the government’s allies to ensure the success of the no-confidence motion.

The JUI-F chief would also address the Ulema Mashaikh Conference at Raiwind Road in this regard. The said information, however, could not be verified by any PPP leader.

Fazl meets PML-Q

The PDM’s chef, later in the day, also separately visited the incumbent PTI government’s ally, PML-Q, in Lahore. He met PML-Q leaders Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Pervaiz Elahi.

During the meeting, Fazl urged the PML-Q to support the opposition in its no-confidence motion against the government.

Fazl was accompanied by Akram Khan Durrani and Maulana Amjad. They inquired after the health of ailing Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

Read LG polls prove JUI-F is 'largest party' of K-P, says Fazl

The PML-Q leaders asked the PDM’s chief to bring forth its own strategy first. Fazl sought two days, saying he would call them to inform them of PDM’s strategy.

A section of the media, however, reported that Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi refused to abandon the government to favour the opposition.

However, he maintained it was the right of the opposition parties to exercise any legal option available at their arsenal to go against the government. However, Durrani downplayed the reports and said the meeting was mainly about inquiring about Shujaat’s health and exchange of pleasantries.

He said that political affairs certainly did come into the discussion but they were not on lines of “explicitly seeking their support”.

Asked about two days’ time that reportedly Fazl has sought, Durrani said that the former did talk about him going to Multan and onwards about his tour.

He said Chaudarys were further told that PDM will engage with them through a committee.

Nowhere during a conversation had Fazl sought time to inform them of anything, he asserted. He said Shehbaz Sharif will also hold a meeting with the Chaudhry brothers on Sunday but that too would be a personal visit similar to this visit. He said it would be the PDM’s committee that would engage with PML-Q.

Shehbaz to meet Chaudhrys

Meanwhile, PML-N’s president Shehbaz Sharif will also hold a meeting with the PML-Q leaders at their residence on Sunday (today) – a first meeting between the two in over a decade. This “goodwill gesture” from PML-N is expected to further melt the ice between the Sharifs and Chaudarys.

Taking place at the heels of PDM’s decision to bring the no-trust motion, it is being speculated that the meeting is part of Shehbaz Sharif’s efforts to woo the PML-Q leadership and convince them to abandon the government.

The PML-N, with the support of PML-Q, can take down the PTI Punjab government with relative ease, if the question of how to move forward together ahead of that is resolved.

Earlier, PML-N leader and former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told The Express Tribune that at least 22 MNAs belonging to the ruling party were willing to pedal into the folds of the opposition but would not do so as long as the “state” backed the incumbent government – a tacit reference to the ‘establishment’.

Abbasi said the lawmakers were waiting for “clear signals” that there will be no pressure on them from the powers that be if they move ahead.

However, the government vehemently denied the possibility of defection and insisted that the scenario was quite the contrary.