ISLAMABAD  -    Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz are in contact at the highest level on the post-Eid protest against the government, political sources said.

Close aides of the Bhutto and Sharif families told The Nation that the two parties are in principle ready to launch a joint movement but details were being discussed.

“The government should expect a joint movement after Eid. Other parties are also being contacted,” said a close aide of the Bhutto family.

A PML-N leader said the two parties’ top leaders were in talks after the recent Iftar-dinner by PPP Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari which was attended among others by Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz.

In a media interaction yesterday, former President Asif Ali Zardari said the government’s days were numbered. He also announced to launch a movement against it after Eid.

Zardari – the PPP co-chairman - said only one thing out of accountability and economy will sustain from now onwards.

PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb said that her party was ready to bring minus Prime Minister Imran Khan formula.

She said former PM Nawaz Sharif had directed to present this suggestion in All Party Conference after the Eid. “The one who worked for the development of the country is in the jail,” she contended.

Meanwhile yesterday, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto addressed a formal letter to Speaker National Assembly urging him to immediately issue production orders in respect of lawmakers Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar to enable them come to the parliament and take the House into confidence as to what happened to them at the hands of law enforcing agencies.

In a letter sent to the Speaker by special messenger the PPP leader also said that separately he will write another letter on the “grave political and security dimensions of the issue” which he said he had refrained from raising in this letter which is only to seek issuance of production orders of the two members of the National Assembly.

Bilawal wrote: “It is almost a week since Ali Wazir a Member of the House of which you are the custodian was arrested on May 26, 2019 by law enforcing agencies in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, charged with terrorism and given in the custody of counter terrorism authorities on physical remand for eight days. Further it has just been reported that another Member of National Assembly, Mohsin Dawar sought by law enforcing agencies has appeared before Police in Bannu in connection with FIR filed against him and it is not known whether he has been arrested or not.”

He added: “Under Rule 103 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly whenever a Member is arrested on criminal charges the authority(ies) concerned must immediately inform the Honourable Speaker, the custodian of the House. Rule 105 of the Conduct of Business in the National Assembly requires that as soon as the honourable Speaker receives such information, he shall forthwith announce it to the Assembly if in session and if not in session then by circulation. I am not sure whether the Honourable Speaker was immediately informed of the arrest of MNA Ali Wazir or about the status of case against MNA Mohisn Wazir as required under the Rules.”

 

The PPP chief said: “However, when the House met the next day on Monday May 27 it was naturally expected that the Honourable Speaker would inform the Members and also issue production orders of MNA Ali Wazir under the Rules so that the latter could also explain his version of the events. Neither the House was informed about the arrest on criminal charges of MNA Ali Wazir nor his production orders were issued. PPP MNA Naveed Qamar formally raised it but his plea was ignored. The purpose of writing this letter is to request you Speaker to immediately issue production orders of MNA Ali Wazir provided under the Rules. In case if in the meantime MNA Mohsin Dawar has also been arrested, his production orders should also be issued.”

He said: “This is absolutely necessary, indeed critical, in view of the grave and far-reaching implications of the arrest on charges of terrorism of Honourable Members of the House, who have actually been fighting terrorism. Nearly a dozen family members of Ali Wazir have been martyred in fight against terrorism and it is highly worrying to charge him and Mohsin Dawar with terrorism. I have refrained on purpose from commenting on the grave political and security dimensions of the issue at this point of time. However, separately I will also forward you a brief note on it as well if needed.”