LAHORE - In continuation of his earlier meetings with the Opposition leaders and the government allies, the PPP-P President Asif Ali Zardari Thursday visited Jamaat-e-Islami’s Mansoorah headquarters to discuss the prevailing political situation with the Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq in the background of the Opposition’s planned no-confidence motion against the govt.
Former prime minister Raja Parvez Ashraf and Asif Zargari’s political secretary Rukhsana Bangash were part of the PPP delegation. JI’ Vice Emir Liaqat Baloch, secretary general Ameerul Azim, secretary information Qaisar Sharif and others were also present in the meeting. The Jamaat-e-Islami has only one seat in the National Assembly, but even one vote counts in the numbers’ game involving removal of a sitting government. Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali is JI’s MNA from Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Sirajul Haq welcomed the Asif Zardari and his team guests and agreed to continue contacts in future. Sirajul Haq and Asif Ali Zardari were unanimous on the point that the masses were badly affected and disturbed due to skyrocketing inflation and unemployment as the PTI government’s incompetence and ill-conceived policies had pushed the country towards economic and constitutional crises. During a meeting between the two leaders, they also agreed that the continuation of the government policies would bring further disaster to all the sectors.The leaders of both the parties said the government instead of focusing on institution building and providing relief to the masses targeted the opposition parties. They believed the country could not move forward without the establishment of rule of law and strengthening democratic values.
Sirajul Haq said the PTI bypassed the parliament and introduced frequent presidential ordinances against spirit of the constitution and democracy. Liaqat Baloch and Raja Parvez later briefed the media after the meeting and said the contacts among the political parties were a welcoming sign.
Baloch said the PPP had sought support of the JI for the opposition parties’ proposed no-trust motion against the prime minister. He added the JI will discuss it in its Majlise Shura meeting scheduled to be started on Friday. The JI, he said, will decide on the issue after consultation, adding that bringing no-confidence was the constitutional right of the opposition parties. He said the PTI govt failed to provide any relief to the masses. The government policies, he said, created constitutional and economic crises in the country. He said Sirajul Haq conveyed to the PPP leadership that the JI would not support any extra-connotational move and believed in the supremacy of the constitution. He said the contacts among the political parties were vital to strengthen democracy. Raja Parvez said the PPP had sought support of the JI for its long-march and no-trust move against the prime minister. He said the opposition parties will send the incompetent government packing. Insiders said that an interesting situation developed when Asif Ali Zardari introduced his political secretary Rukhsana Bangash with Sirajul Haq and told him that he had asked her to wear a Burqa (Hijab) before going to Mansoorah. There was laughter.
Later, when the PPP delegation was about to leave Mansoorah, Sirajul Haq presented a Burqa and a Chadar to Rukhsana Bangash as a gift from him.