Sit-ins at home: ‘London plan’ failed miserably, says PM Nawaz
Unmoved by the ongoing protest sit-ins of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek, Prime Minister Nawaz said on Wednesday that the ‘London Plan’ has miserably failed. The government claims that the Islamabad Dharna was planned in a meeting between the PTI and PAT leaders in London.
“Now everyone is aware of the meeting that took place in London between Imran Khan and Dr Tahirul Qadri,” the prime minister told journalists in London on Wednesday before leaving for New York where he is scheduled to attend the 69th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly.
“Details and motives behind the ‘London Plan’ have started to surface and people are witnessing what this plan has been reduced to,” he said, adding that some politicians had joined hands in London to conspire against Pakistan. He further said that Pakistani nation had ‘foiled the designs’ of protesters and would not forgive those who tried to hamper progress in Pakistan.
The prime minister said that at the UN General Assembly he would speak about the hurdles Pakistan has been facing in its journey towards progress. “I will return with good tidings for the nation,” he added.
Later the prime minister reached New York after a brief stopover in London. He came along with a relatively smaller delegation as compared to delegations accompanying top government officials in the past. He is staying in Waldorf Astoria hotel where US President Barack Obama will also stay.
The US president is scheduled to host a dinner in honour of all heads of states at the UN headquarters Thursday morning. Prime Minister Nawaz will also attend.
According to a schedule released to the media, the prime minister will meet US Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday. Apart from addressing the UN General Assembly session, he will also have a series of meetings with heads of states. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in New York on Friday but a one-on-one meeting between him and Nawaz Sharif is highly unlikely.
Premier Nawaz will meet his Norwegian counterpart Erna Solberg Thursday morning. Afterwards, he will see Nepal’s Premier Sushil Koirala, which will be followed by his meeting with World Bank President Dr Jim Yong Kim. In the afternoon, the premier is scheduled to meet his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte. He will also have an important meeting with European Union’s president.
In the evening, Premier Nawaz will meet with United Nation’s Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. He will also meet his Malaysian counterpart on Friday.
The premier will co-chair the UN peacekeeping summit along with US Vice President Joe Biden and other world leaders, including Japanese and Bangladeshi prime ministers. On Friday, he will address the annual session of the UN General Assembly.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2014.
COMMENTS (18)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1734511806-0/Untitled-design-(5)1734511806-0-270x192.webp "saim ayub breaks brian lara s odi record")
1734587529-0/Express-Tribune-(1)1734587529-0-270x192.webp "pakistan to host another icc event")
1734468458-0/Copy-of-Untitled-(50)1734468458-0-270x192.webp "salman agha shares man of the match award with saim ayub in touching gesture")
@MaharajUSA: "....Your example of President Obama attending as President is misleading since he is both the Head of the State and the Head of the Government. So please stop trying to mislead the public."
The Queen of England though heads, The Church of England, is also the top representative of her country, would be missed sourly.
Now we know about the standard of Pakistani diplomats.
NAWAZ SHARIF IS THE LEADER OF A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY AND HIS LEVEL OF CORRUPTION IS CLEAR FROM THE COSTS AS PER THE FOLLOWING ITINERARY.
COSTS OF NAWAZ SHARIF JOURNEY SO FAR
Hired a private Jet from Gulfstream - with operating cost = $10,000 per hour, flight time = 18 hours each way, total 36 hours = $360,000
Waldorf Hotel - $8,000 per night/per room (for standard room), but Nawaz took presidential suite, at $12,000, even Obama took standard room
Booked entire floor in Waldorf costing $8,000 per room x 30 rooms = $240,000
Food imported fresh from favourite restaurant in Lahore (flewn to Islamabad then onto New York) by flight cost = $8,500
Total cost only for major costs = $650,000 for one man with his 4 team delegation to have a luxurious journey fit for a king.
Taking this into consideration, surely it begs the question does this man really care about the state of his nation, clearly not.
@silverfox: unfortunately he cannot afford through his own pocket he has no job no source of income and no income tax to declare remember?? He is really from the people!! he is a common man :)
@flabbergasted:
Spot on. Let me add that Musharraf also has a parallel and direct channel with PTI as SMQ and IK meet him off and on. Even during the Islamabad sit-in, SMQ visited Karachi to get "guidance" from Musharraf.
The Musharraf-Imran nexus is pretty old. In 2002 Mush wanted IK to be in govt but his foremost allies, Choudhries PML and MQM vetoed. Mush wanted to rig the 2008 elections to bring IK as a PM but Kayani spoiled his plot. PPP won but PML-N did not accuse rigging.
Maybe there as symbiosis between Musharraf and IK as even the dogs IK has have been gifted by the former.
@Iqbal Hadi Zaidi: Not only Heads of State but Heads of Government also attend the UN General Assembly (UNGA) yearly session. For, example, Narendara Modi of India, Hasina Wajid of BD are both Prime Ministers and Heads of Government (of their respective countries) and are attending the UNGA. So your pointing out that NS attending " is out of etiquettes of diplomacy" only reflects your bias and nothing more. Your example of President Obama attending as President is misleading since he is both the Head of the State and the Head of the Government. So please stop trying to mislead the public.
The PM lacks the vision to interpret what has been achieved out of these sit ins -perhaps this might be asking for too much from him; PML-N please continue to stay in your fantasy world....its good for the Nation though
Really PM? Then why do you keep mentioned the 'failed' sit-ins in your every statement, again and again and again. You are in U.S with some other objective, right? But you couldn't help mentioning them here again. Why are these 'failures' bothering you so much?
"The US president is scheduled to host a dinner in honour of all heads of states at the UN headquarters Thursday morning. Prime Minister Nawaz will also attend".
Dinner in Morning?..are u serious tribune?
Go Nawaz Go. hypocrisy
Where is President of Pakistan?? Without prejudice to PM Nawaz I must state in black and white that UN recognizes country which is personified with Head of the State and therefore is strict sense of protocol our President must attend UN General Assembly like US President does but PM Nawaz being Head of the Government is attending the session instead which is out of etiquettes of diplomacy to be honest. Why US President excluding Vice President is attending the UN session is to be answered by PM Nawaz or his Aristotles and Platos? Thanks in advance. Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait
@Khushab wala & @silverfox: Would IK be any different? Maybe you are right. He will stay at the Goldsmith Palace on his tours. By The Way... Who is paying for the Billion rupee plus Dharna?
"Thursday morning dinner." Seriously!!!!!
Go there and say 'go Nawaz go' at the front of the hotel and see the result . They will make you understand the real meaning of peace zone .
ET: Please post here as well, thanks. Imran says the real London Plan was the Charter of Democracy (COD.) The COD 2006 was a plan of the two most major political parties of Pakistan to get rid of the dictator, Musharraf who had usurped power in 1999. The real London Plan between Qadri and IK so called but it is in reality a Musharraf plan enacted through multiple intermediaries, including retired Generals of Musharraf's mentoring, and possibly some still in-service powerful elements of the establishment. These elements are channels for Musharraf's "guidance" through one Ejaz Hussein who in turn "guides" Qadri and through another channel, which Sheikh Rashid conduits to IK. Ejaz and the Choudhries of Gujrat stick together. Lately, the London Plan has tried to co-opt Altaf Hussein who played host to IK in Karachi and MQM made IK's recent Karachi rally a huge success. But IK should not equate the COD with the London Plan as the former was to get rid of a despot. However, the London plan is for toppling a Constitutional Government, elected in mostly fair elections. That IK can distort reality, often quite successfully is nothing new.
Useless trip just to get out of Pakistan. No Pakistani issue is to be discussed at the UN. At least people will ask why the chant of "GO NAWAZ GO" is heard wherever he goes.
'...relatively smaller delegation' No no no no!!...the rest came by PIA!! So not to attract Media attention. Even the maids. He has a huge entourage.
Staying at the waldorf no expenses spared absolutely disgraceful whilst nation suffers under this brutal regime that is manifestly corrupt. .he has looted $billions why not pay out off his own pocket why not stay at the embassy ...truth is he is revolting despicable disgraceful disgusting and that is being very polite! Then there are some on here who post favourable comments for this monstrosity that his nawaz