LAHORE - Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed once again failed to get united the PTI tsunami and PAT revolution at a single platform for launching a joint drive against the government.
Rasheed held meetings with the PTI chairman and PAT head on Friday in an effort to convince them afresh for launching a joint drive against the government if they desire a result-oriented campaign but the AML chief failed once again to bring Imran and Qadri at a single platform.
Close aides of Imran and Dr Qadri privy to the Rasheed’s meetings with their party heads told this correspondent that both leaders politely refused to oblige the AML chief’s proposal once again.  When contacted, Sheikh Rasheed insisted that Imran and Dr Qadri would join hands on minimum common agenda. “I and the PML-Q high command are making efforts to unite PTI tsunami and PAT revolution at a single platform for a meaningful drive against the government. He claimed the rulers would see both the PTI and PAT launching a joint campaign on August 14 along with the AML, PML-Q and other likeminded parties.
Terming the rulers as civilian dictators, the AML chief claimed that only a joint struggle could send the rulers home and bring the rulers of the poor people in power.
When asked about his meetings with the PTI and PAT heads, he said, “I am hopeful the heads of two popular parties would oblige my proposal for a joint anti-government drive.”
Replying to a query about Imran Khan’s statement for calling off the tsunami march under certain conditions, Rasheed said, “The PTI chairman demanded the government to open four constituencies for thumb verification. But I can say it for sure that solid rigging would surface, and demand for more constituencies’ vote verification would be raised.”
He claimed that the events would drift the country towards midterm elections if the government, accepting the PTI demands, launched a probe into the four constituencies through a judicial commission under the newly-nominated Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Responding to another question about his meeting with PML-Q high command, Rasheed said he asked them to accelerate their efforts for bringing Dr Qadri and Imran on a single platform, as separate drives could not get the desired results.
Rasheed said, “I’ll hold another meeting with Imran Khan very soon and ask him to demand vote verification probe into more than four constituencies, as the PTI head is in a position to dictate his terms at this moment.” The entire electoral process of 2013 would prove a sham exercise, and there would be no other option but to hold midterm polls to save democracy.
Meanwhile, political circles believed to be close to the establishment talking to The Nation claimed that the AML chief carrying a fresh message from certain powerful quarters conveyed the PAT and PTI heads to join hands to achieve their targets, while the PML-Q top leadership had been asked to accelerate their efforts on this count. Earlier, talking to media outside the residence of Dr Tahirul Qadri, the AML chief hinted at the possibilities of a major change before August 14 if the government took another wrong move. He claimed the top leadership of the ruling party, which had already put the head of Rana Sanaullah on a platter for covering their high crime, were now be ready for the political sacrifice of Khwaja Saad Rafique and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq with surrendering 10 allegedly rigged constituencies of the Parliament.
He warned the rulers of serious consequences if they deputed Punjab police during the PTI’s expected long march on August 14, and said that another Model Town like incident would surely send the incumbent government home. Rasheed claimed the PPP was siding with the government fearing the opening of NAB cases against its top leadership. The PPP had already vanished in Punjab and in the next turn, it would disappear from the political canvas of Sindh as well. He demanded the elements involved in creating hurdles in the way of operation Zarb-e-Azb should be exposed.