N firm on kicking out PPP ministers

LAHORE All indicators suggest that the bond between the PPP and the PML-N, which was put in place after the signing of the Charter of Democracy between late Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, is reaching its logical end since the top N-League leadership has decided to do away with the reconciliation. However, top party sources have confided that next 36 hours are crucial to decide the fate of the over-all alliance and PML-N led coalition in the Punjab. Nevertheless, both sides are threatening each other of serious consequences if anyone decides to walk out. Secondly, the top leadership of both the parties are said to be keeping a close liaison with each other in an effort to avoid 80s and 90s scenario. On the other hand, after high and lows of coalition partnership for almost three years, at last the PML-N has decided to remove PPP Ministers from the provincial Cabinet, and will give two Ministerial portfolios to two PML-Q defectors, top party sources have confided with The Nation. 'A formal announcement is yet to be made in this regard, which is expected on Friday after the party heads will meet in Islamabad, added, the source. However, he did not rule out the possibility of extension in the actualisation deadline of the 10-point agenda, and consequent working as 'strange bedfellows. 'This will certainly keep the PPP on its toes, while we can further pressurise the Federal government, maintained the source. Just a day prior to the expiry of the 10-point agenda deadline, the PML-N is said to have taken the decision of kicking off PPP Ministers during a meeting, which was chaired PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif, and attended by a few PML-N bigwigs of the party, including Chief Minister Punjab Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif. It has been also decided to assign two Punjab Ministries to the Unification Bloc members-47 in total-comprising defected PML-Q MPAs. As per sources, Parliamentary leader Unification Bloc Dr Tahir Ali Javed and Ata Muhammad Maneka would be given the portfolios. 'Earlier, the PML-N was defensive, and the PPP initiated the flirtation with the Q-League when Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani held meetings with Ch Shujaat Hussain and others of his coterie. Now the majority of elected Q-Leaguers, especially in the Punjab Assembly, are with us, opined the sources. The Forward Bloc, carved out of the PML-Q, was identified and allotted separate benches on the Floor of the Punjab Assembly on February 15 when the Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan issued a notification in this regard. The allocation was deemed as big blow to the fragile political union in the province by the senior partner PML-N which caught flak from the PPP Ministers, who were of the view that it would prove to be a disaster for the N-League if the latter brought into its fold to what they called 'new commercial partners. They also alleged the N-League of horse-trading. However, despite this Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Nawaz Sharif have convened meetings to discuss the outcome of the talks between the Parliamentary Committees of both parties over the 10-point agenda. Earlier, a PPP parliamentary team had informed the PML-N that it had actualised about 50 per cent implementation progress on its 10-point agenda. It had also asked the PML-N to extend its 45-day deadline for maximising achievements to 100 per cent in the near future. However, the PML-N Central Organising Committee would hold a meeting on the coming Friday to decide the future course of political action.