LAHORE: The Punjab capital may see hectic political activities during the next two days as ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, former president Asif Zardari and religious alliance MMA’s chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will be active here to try forming an opposition alliance.

Maulana Fazl is working to convene a multi-party conference as a first step to carve out an alliance on the minimum possible common agenda but is failing to give a final date (and venue) for the purpose because Mr Sharif is apparently reluctant to ensure his physical presence at the proposed meet.

Though the MMA leader claimed here before the media on Friday that the ex-premier would be part of the MPC, a senior official of the PML-N said Mr Sharif had so far committed only sending a Raja Zafarul Haq-led delegation to the opposition’s conference.

Sources in the MMA say the N-League has been told that the MPC may fail to make any political impact unless Mr Sharif is seen sitting along with Mr Zardari.

The indecision on the part of Mr Sharif is delaying the formal announcement of holding the MPC, they say.

Zardari also arrives

Maulana Fazl says he has already met Mr Zardari and will try to call on the PML-N supremo in the next two days to finalize the moot.

Mr Zardari, who is in the city to attend a couple of PPP functions and meet the local leadership, has said a couple of days ago that talks may be held with Mr Sharif.

The former president had earlier been refusing to sit with the ex-prime minister and had even supported the ruling PTI in the Senate chairman polls to the disadvantage of the PML-N.

Earlier, Maulana Fazl told the media after a meeting of the Shura (consultative body) of the JUI faction led by him that there is strong consensus among opposition that the PTI government cannot run the country and all parties would join hands in the upcoming multi-party conference.

He said the PTI government had brought the country and economy to their knees in two months. The opposition feels obliged to play its due role in retrieving the country from those who “have stolen the mandate.”

Talking about legal problems of the opposition, which may make it difficult for him to bring them to one platform, he dispelled the impression, saying cases, jails and corruption charges were part of struggle against establishment and this game has been going on for 30 years – without any result. Had these charges, reserved only for politicians, been true, they could have resulted in end of corruption in the last three decades. The politicians have faced jails, exiles and cases all those years and continue doing so: such practices now cannot deter the opposition but would rather be an impetus, he told a questioner.

The politicians have two options: either resist or submit to the establishment. The opposition feels that submission is not an option.

“In that case, the establishment would keep the country on path to slavery and the country would end up nowhere,” he said and added: “The PTI has been claiming $200 billion in the Swiss Banks as proof of corruption for the last many years. Now they themselves say that those reports were not correct?”

Talking about recent economic aid from Saudi Arabia, he said that it could only be welcomed but one should keep in mind that it was meant to boost foreign reserves.

“Similarly, Pakistan may get some help from China but we need to think how we have been testing Chinese patience for the last three years and making things difficult for them,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 27th , 2018

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