President, PM strategise before BB death anniversary

President's speech due today will be an important indication as to how the current situation will unfold.

ISLAMABAD:

Before President Asif Ali Zardari left on Monday to attend the death anniversary of former premier Benazir Bhutto in Garhi Khuda Bux, he held a hush-hush meeting with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, widely considered an interlocutor in the recent government-military row.

Sources said the meeting was meant to finalise a strategy for the public gathering. Political observers believe that the president’s speech to be delivered on Tuesday (today) will be an important indication as to how the current situation will unfold in the coming days.

“Till a few days back, the party’s leaders had suggested to the president to hit hard against those hatching conspiracies… But now the situation seems under control,” a close associate of President Zardari said when asked about the possible contents of the speech. “Some of us suggested that the speech should carry a clear message… A place should be reserved for another grave next to the Shaheeds of the party to make it clear that there will be no other way to topple the elected government except over a dead body,” the PPP leader said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2011.