NOKHAIZ SAHI & JAVAID-UR-RAHMAN
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari wanted to prove himself as a key player of national politics but the show for the purpose seemingly failed on Friday when several opposition leaders decided not to attend his Iftar-dinner.
Former president and PPP de-facto chief Asif Ali Zardari had invited opposition leaders, who were allies of PPP's government, to Iftar-dinner following Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's refusal to meet him. However, heads of key parties – ANP chief Asfandyar Wali and JI Ameer Sirajul Haq – opted to stay away. No leader turned up from PTI. The JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman did reach the venue but after the Iftar.
Zardari is facing widespread criticism over his recent statement against the security establishment. Sources in PPP informed this scribe that the former president wanted to discuss National Action Plan, which was introduced by government after attack on Army Public School Peshawar, and Rangers’ ongoing operation in Karachi with the opposition leaders.
They said that Zadari wanted to take political parties into confidence and clarify the leaders over his speech. Sources said Asif Zardari was not against the Rangers operations but he has some reservations over the operations and raids on political parties’ offices. Zardari also wanted to bring back peace in port city and he had attended the apex committee meeting along with PM in this regard, a source said.
Political leaders who attended the Iftar deliberated mainly about the National Action Plan (NAP), Zardari's recent statement about military, Karachi operation and other related matters. The meeting was participated by ANP leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain, MQM leaders Dr Farooq Sattar and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman and PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. PPP senior leaders and PPP Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also attended the meeting, though he remained tight lipped.
The political leaders present in the dinner urged Zardari to continue his policy of 'reconciliation' but did not press him to withdraw his fiery anti-military statement that had created ripples in the political arena, according to party leaders. Sources revealed that Bilawal and Zadari will go back to Karachi today (Saturday).
Sources in Zardari House also informed The Nation that Qyuoom Somroo was appointed as organiser of the Iftar dinner but he failed to perform this duty as expected and even most of the PPP top leaders were not invited.
PPP senior leader Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan went to Lahore on Friday morning so he could not attend the dinner. Opposition Leader in National Assembly and PPP senior leader Syed Khurshid Shah was also invited only after Friday prayer, sources added.
Senator Rehman A Malik invited Ameer Jamat Islami Sirajul Haq on behalf of party co-chairman but he refused due to personal engagements. On the other side, Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid claimed that ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership did not receive Zardari’s Iftar invitation. He said that without invitation how PML-N leadership could participate in the dinner.
Although Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) clarified that Zardari pointed his finger at former generals, yet it also remarked that they had always firmly resisted dictators in past and would continue this policy in the future.
Talking to media after the Iftar party, PPP senior leaders Sherry Rehman and Qamar Zaman Kaira said their party chief’s remarks were aimed at “former military personnel, not incumbent army chief General Raheel Sharif”. “We have the highest respect for General Raheel,” said Sherry Rehman.
"We have faced dictators in past and will continue to face them," she said. To a question, Sherry Rehman said that National Action Plan should reach its logical end. "We need to make it functional and move to next stage," she added.
"No one has asked Asif Ali Zardari to withdraw from his recent statement but over all consensus was to continue 'reconciliatory policy', as PPP knows how to move forward keeping other factions with them," Kaira said while responding to question. It was emphasised that all the state institutions including the Rangers must work within their constitutional ambits.
Kaira said that all the political parties had a consensus to launch the operation against the criminal elements and Sindh government called in the Rangers in aid of the civil administration and it will continue to support it. He further said that PPP had a track record to avoid confrontation, adding “we had always advocated resolve the issues through reconciliation”.
Answering another question, Kaira claimed that Fazlur Rahman had not refused to attend the meeting at any stage. "Maulana Fazlur Rahman has attended the meeting," he said, adding it was consensus of the parties that all institutions need to work in their orbit. "PPP has never opted to deteriorate the situation but has always adopted a reconciliatory policy," he again stressed.
To a question about Zardari's statement, Kaira said leaders need not necessarily consult party men before giving any statement. "There could be harsh tone in his statement at any stage... but only one chunk of statement should not be considered as whole," he added, while stressing that the only certain parts of the speech were highlighted by the media and opponents.