Zardari may lead Jirga to break political impasse

PPP co-chairman likely to meet PM along with Jirga members after Eid.

ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE: In a fresh push to break the prevailing political stalemate, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, who is currently in Lahore, is likely to meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif along with a six-member political Jirga in the federal capital after Eidul Azha, The Express Tribune has learnt.

After the political Jirga failed to reconcile the government and two protesting parties – the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) – Zardari decided to weigh in to break the impasse. He has already met Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq, who has been spearheading the political Jirga, and the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, who have been supporting PAT in its campaign against the government.

According to sources, the prime minister will offer Eid prayers at a mosque at his Jati Umra residence before returning to Islamabad on Wednesday where he is expected to meet the political Jirga in coming days. Highly credible sources in the PPP and PML-N said that Zardari might lead the Jirga in order to break the persisting political logjam. Shaukat Basra, information secretary of PPP’s Punjab chapter, confirmed to The Express Tribune that Zardari would soon play a ‘broader role’ in resolving the political crisis caused by the sit-ins of the PTI and PAT.

Thousands of activists of the two parties have been camping in the federal capital for the past 50 days calling for the prime minister to step down.

The political Jirga – which comprises Senator Rehman Malik, Sirajul Haq, Kalsoom Perven, Mir Hasil Khan Bazinjo, Dr GG Jamal and Liaquat Baloch – has already had several sessions of talks with negotiators from the government and two protesting parties. Currently, the Jirga’s role is limited to ‘facilitation’. And sources said that Zardari, in his meeting with the prime minister, might ask him to expand the Jirga’s role. He might also reconfigure the makeup of the Jirga.

On Sunday, Senator Rehman Malik met PAT leader Dr Tahirul Qadri in his custom-built container at Islamabad’s D Chowk. He presented a bouquet and conveyed a message to Qadri from Zardari. Sources, however, said that the status of negotiations with the government and the hurdles involved were also discussed.

Sources in the PML-N said that Zardari’s planned meeting with the prime minister as head of the political Jirga could be aimed at claiming credit for a possible end to the political impasse. They said that Zardari might also meet the PTI and PAT leaderships in their containers.

Federal Information Minister Senator Pervez Rashid said that the Jirga has yet not sought time for meeting prime minister. “Whenever they ask we’ll arrange a meeting,” he told The Express Tribune. He added that the Jirga’s role was to facilitate talks between the government and the protesting parties which it performed very well. “Unfortunately, [PTI chairman] Imran Khan has vetoed Jirga’s efforts by saying that talks are useless until the prime minister resigns.”

Earlier in the day, the PPP co-chairman met PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and his cousin Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi at Bilawal House in Lahore. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Shujaat voiced hope that a solution to the political crisis would be found soon.

Elahi, on his part, said that everybody was disturbed by the prevailing situation and Asif Zardari was no exception. From labourers and peasants to industrialists and landowners, everyone was worried due to economic losses caused by the sit-ins and deadlock in dialogue.

However, he sought to downplay the meeting with Zardari. “We [PPP, PML-Q] had been coalition partners in the previous government. It is normal to have such meetings, which may continue in the future,” Elahi added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2014.