‘London plan’ is ruling elite’s survival strategy, says Muhammad Ali Durrani

Senior politician and former federal minister Muhammad Ali Durrani described the so-called “London Plan” as a “survival plan” by the ruling elite to save their wealth, power and hold on government.

Addressing the media, Durrani said that ruling parties including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had already lost their vote-bank and now their ‘support bank’ was vanishing due to their self-centred policies. 

“They have neither managed to fix the economy nor deliver anything meaningful to the people. The public is not on their side. If they also lose the establishment’s support, they will not be able to win the next election,” he added.

He said the PPP and PML-N wanted to restore their popularity among the people while retaining power. But in reality, their government had become a “burden and liability.”

Read: PPP freezes govt support amid grievances

Talking about the PPP’s stance on creation of new provinces particularly Sindh, he said that no bill was introduced in the assembly so far but the party started hue and cry and an anti-establishment 
environment and the proposal. 

“We will establish Bahawalpur and Hazara provinces. Let’s see who stops us since they (the ruling parties) themselves had approved it,” he challenged.

He said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had changed its political direction and would no longer take to the streets against the establishment. Instead, he added, the party would mobilise against the PPP-PML-N government and in support of the new provinces.

“I have been saying this for the last two-and-a-half years. PTI is not a war machine. It should abandon confrontation, do politics and challenge the government policies. Now PTI has started doing so and it will also get its political share. PTI has now understood this,” he said.

He said the PTI had changed its strategy and decided to take advantage of the current political situation. “No matter how hard the PML-N tries, PTI will not come out against the establishment,” he said.

Durrani said that the ruling parties would want PTI locked in a confrontation with the establishment, because the survival of both the PPP and PML-N depends on PTI continuing that fight. 

Durrani said PTI would not fall victim to what he described as a conspiracy. PTI will not come out against the establishment. It will come out against the government, in support of the provinces and against the PPP and PML-N, he said.

“In my view, the PPP and PML-N are connected to each other at heart,” he added.

Read More: PML-N, PPP at breaking point?

Responding to a question, Durrani said the establishment was largely composed of people from the middle and lower-middle classes, as was the majority of the population. The PML-N and PPP have become parties representing the elite. Their costly planes continued to get fuel while petrol became more expensive for people riding motorcycles, he said. 

He said the two parties had lost contact with the people and the youth. “This disconnect is becoming increasingly clear. The establishment does not back political forces that have already lost their relevance or public support,” he remarked.

Durrani said the system had collapsed, but those responsible for bringing about the collapse had become super rich. “They invested money in Dubai and their system collapsed. Now they have moved to London. May Allah have mercy on London,” he said.

Responding to a question about Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman joining the opposition, Durrani said the more important question was whether PTI would stand with the Maulana outside the room.