The country’s volatile political scene heated up on Saturday when the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) engaged in a verbal duel unleashing a fresh salvo of allegations against each other.
In Karachi, federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira convened a news conference – replete with sweeping statements and papers which he claimed were documentary “evidence” against the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad – questioning the PML-N’s credibility.
“It was not the PPP, but the PML-N and its leaders who stole the people’s mandate and rigged the 1990 elections to form a fake government,” Kaira said referring to the Supreme Court ruling in the Asghar Khan case.
The caretaker government at the time used the state machinery against the PPP, Kaira told journalists at the PPP media cell.
He lashed out at the caretaker set-up – which included then prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, and provincial chief ministers, Jam Sadiq among them – for “kicking the PPP out of the power corridors”.
“We are not blaming anyone, but the Supreme Court’s judgment has proved who received money from Younus Habib,” Kaira said, adding that after coming into power, the PML-N granted a licence to Habib for Mehran Bank in 1992.
Kaira also stressed the government would hold parliamentary elections after March next year.
PML-N responds
In a tit-for-tat attack, the PML-N dismissed the party as illegal and unregistered, and asked the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take immediate notice of the party led by President Asif Ali Zardari.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, PML-N senior leader Ahsan Iqbal lashed out at the ruling party, saying, “The real registered political party is Pakistan Peoples Party-Parliamentarians (PPPP) whose head is Makhdoom Amin Fahim.”
“President Zardari has been fooling the people for five long years by leading a fake and defunct political party which has no record in the ECP and it should take notice of this illegal act,” he maintained.
Referring to Kaira’s statements against the PML-N, Iqbal said, “Such tactics will never prove productive as people know the ground reality better, and will vote on the basis of the PPP’s performance over the last five years, which is shameful.”
To a question, he said his party would welcome any sort of commission to be constituted to probe into the IJI’s alleged involvement in poll rigging. “The PML-N will welcome and cooperate with any commission even if it comprises Rehman Malik, Imran Khan and Altaf Hussain,” he added.
Iqbal further alleged that the PPP rigged the elections in 1993 with the help of intelligence agencies. He added that his party would strongly resist any attempt to delay the general elections.
The PML-N is also considering approaching the ECP if Zardari does not relinquish the co-chairmanship of PPP. “We reserve the right to take every constitutional step if the president does not comply with the court orders,” PML-N Senator Tariq Azeem told The Express Tribune.
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has recently taken up a contempt of court petition against President Zardari over his indulgence in political activities despite an earlier court ruling directing him to refrain from the same.
Senator Azeem said his party would wait for a court injunction before approaching the ECP regarding the president’s dual offices and political activities.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 11th, 2012.
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both parties deserve to be packed and shipped away to the south pole for the rest of their existence (whatever is left of it)
now our street smart president will say, i m not president of pppp as it is headed by Amin Faheem. I m co-chairman of "defunct" PPP which is not contesting election. another petition will be filed in court which will take months and election will be held in the meantime. presidency using all govt machinery and coming back into power.
Is there any benifit for mango man from all this ? NO...corruption, terrorism, education, poverty, extremism (religious and liberal) r the core issues.. But we wud still choose one of these parties tat r responsible for all these issues.. How ironic..