The All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) observed a “black day” and issued a strike call for Tuesday to protest Nawaz Sharif’s deportation and the crackdown against political activists. APDM component parties managed to hold protest demonstrations in some major cities and small towns and villages, but the public response to the strike call was largely muted.
**Lahore traders give poor response to strike call **
LAHORE: The lukewarm response from city traders to Nawaz Sharif’s deportation to Saudi Arabia shows that either the former prime minister has lost support among them or they are afraid of annoying the government. Neither a single shop was closed in the city in sympathy with the PNL-N leader nor did any significant number of shopkeepers wear black armbands as a mark of protest against his deportation. This was despite the fact that a large number of shopkeepers in the major city markets surveyed showed sympathy with the exiled leader and for the first time in 60 years, even shopkeepers criticised the Saudi government, which is said to be hosting him against his wishes. Some leading figures among the Qaumi Tajir Ittehad, which owes its existence to the Musharraf regime, were seen privately admitting that the government had acted unfairly. However, when asked to express their views on record, they declared that as theirs was an apolitical organisation, they remained aloof from the strike or protest call. What surprised most market watchers was the attitude of Haji Maqsood Butt, former adviser to Nawaz Sharif, during his stint as Punjab chief minister. Butt has been leading the Anjuman Tajran Pakistan since 1986. When the Supreme Court allowed Nawaz to return, Butt despite being in the PML announced that Nawaz would be accorded a rousing welcome by traders on his return.
Re: APDM strike call for Nawaz Sharif gets muted response
But all 160 million people have not been put in jail
Like I said, ganja episode is over. Time to move on.
of course, 20-30million are Altaf followers, 60-70 million are Bibi followers so why would 160 million be put in jail? I don't want ganja episode to be over, rather ganja to be over :D
Re: APDM strike call for Nawaz Sharif gets muted response
Nawaz Shareef was saved the humiliation of having to be received by a couple of hundred or at max 1000 people on his landing. The response to his home coming was fairly mute. U can give him benefit of doubt on 10th because there were road blocks and whatever but why did the strike call fail on 11th? Obviously something doesn't add up. Only PML-N can try to defend it.
I think Nawaz also made a mistake by landing in Islamabad. Peshawar would've made a much better landing spot.
Re: APDM strike call for Nawaz Sharif gets muted response
^^ I dont think peshawar has direct flights from london, I might be wrong it has in direct flights through middle east etc. Ganja was scared that he might be off loaded or not get connecting flight at any airport in middle east due to saudi/pak govt influence.
thats why he chosen PIA direct flight. he has human shield of Pakistani people, and that may avoid any rerouting of the flight. He played a loosing game, as always, he is only good when he has a master behind him from the ARMy, ie Zia or others.
Re: APDM strike call for Nawaz Sharif gets muted response
yawn I guess nobody reported the fact that 100 political leaders including the PPP boycotted the Saudi National Day yesterday eh? First time in history that the Pakistan opposition and people from government gave the Saudi Ambassador the finger. From what I heard a few ministers weren't there as well to side with the boycott called.
Muted response, of course. People read what they want. Some one look up BBC and see what they have to say.
Re: APDM strike call for Nawaz Sharif gets muted response
But all 160 million people have not been put in jail
Like I said, ganja episode is over. Time to move on.
Yup, only a few hundred, or few thousand people were put in jail briefly on 9/10 Septemeber - most of the released just after Nawaz departed.
So the question is why the ADPM strike - yesterday, was a TOTAL failure? Especially in Nawaz's heartland of Lahore, but also other major centres in Punjab like Multan and Faislabad, as well other parts of Pakistan. A complete and total flop.
Does Nawaz's following in Pakistan only amount to the few thousand arrested, and few hundred who came out yesterday?
Re: APDM strike call for Nawaz Sharif gets muted response
Saudi Nat'l Day is on 23 Sep. And what diff does it make if a handful of opposition losers boycott it?
Only shows how these opposition losers who are hopefuls for future power slots will be destructive for Pakstan's foregin policies and relations with KSA in the future...
Re: APDM strike call for Nawaz Sharif gets muted response
BTW, could kicking mian saab out also be a clause from that notorious deal...?
Look at the pretty direct words that Prince Muqrin used on Saturday, which were in effect a public warning to Nawaz Sharif.
[quote]
"We sincerely hope that Nawaz Sharif honours this agreement,"
"We are hopeful that the signatory will adhere to that agreement and stick to it. The Custodian of the two Holy Mosques helped Sharif and his family to get out of imprisonment under such an agreement ... which was aimed at ensuring the stability of Pakistan," he added.
"We fully respect the Supreme Court, the law of the land, but we still have an agreement and we are hoping that this agreement is adhered to."
*About the consequences if Sharif violated the agreement, Prince Muqrin said: "He (Nawaz Sharif) knows it, Musharraf knows it and most of the people of Pakistan know it." *
[/quote]
Re: APDM strike call for Nawaz Sharif gets muted response
Some reasons the newspaper editorials are giving for the embarrassing failure of the APDM strike call. It appears that the popularity of Nawaz Sharif plummetted after the public revelations of the Saudi deal, and his dithering admission of it after all these years.
Re: APDM strike call for Nawaz Sharif gets muted response
Some reasons the newspaper editorials are giving for the embarrassing failure of the APDM strike call. It appears that the popularity of Nawaz Sharif plummetted after the public revelations of the Saudi deal, and his dithering admission of it after all these years.
If what you are saying is true then Musharraf should immediately talk to Saudis and bring Nawaz back so he wouldn't be "blocked" as he has no support.... can Musharraf show the "jewels"?
ISLAMABAD, Sept 12: The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has decided to take strict disciplinary action against local party leaders and office-bearers for their failure to mobilise the people to accord a warm welcome to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on his return to the country on Sept 10. A meeting of the party, presided over by PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, was addressed by party president Shahbaz Sharif by telephone from London. Talking to Dawn, PML-N’s additional secretary-general Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal said a meeting of the Central Working Committee would be convened after the release of main leaders of party from detention. The meeting would hold accountable the people who were assigned various duties in connection with the mobilisation of workers and the general public, he added.
Mr Iqbal said the party leadership had taken note of mismanagement and lack of coordination. Sources said Mian Shahbaz Sharif in his address expressed displeasure over the poor arrangements made by the local leadership. They said that he was also upset over media reports that no PML-N worker made any serious attempt to reach the Islamabad airport on Sept 10. The sources said Mr Sharif was also angry over reports that most PML-N leaders were arrested while resting in their homes and none of them could even cross Zero Point in Islamabad which was about 15 kilometres from the airport. Political experts also hold local leadership of the party responsible for the poor turnout because they relied only on media and did not go to the masses. “The PML-N leaders arranged about one dozen press conferences in three days before Sept 10 only to tell the media that one million people would reach the airport, despite strict security measures taken by the government,” said an expert, adding, “so much so that the person who was appointed as main coordinator of the whole programme preferred to attend a live talk show on a private TV channel at the time when Nawaz Sharif was still at the airport negotiating with officials of law enforcement agencies.
Good one.
