First the MMA hesitates to oppose the government, now the PPPP.
Good to see the major opposition parties in effect supporting President Musharraf’s drive against foreign terrorists. :k:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_31-3-2004_pg7_12
PML-N, PPPP fall out over Wana
Following differences with the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) over the Wana operation, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has deferred today’s (Wednesday) march to South Waziristan Agency, Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) sources told Daily Times on Tuesday. PML-N leaders claimed that the decision to march to Wana today was unanimously made by all ARD components in its March 26 meeting, but PPPP stalwarts said no such decision was made and only the Wana issue and not the march was discussed in the meeting. Sources said ARD Chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim was not present when the Wana issue was discussed. They said two senior Punjab PPPP leaders were involved in the discussion and expressed their willingness to take part in the march on behalf of their party, but the PPPP high command later admonished them for taking such a decision as the idea of marching to Wana contradicted the party’s policy against terrorism. “PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has asked Mr Fahim and PPPP General Secretary Jehangir Badr to get an explanation from the provincial PPPP leaders,” sources added.
Meanwhile, Punjab PML-N General Secretary Khawaja Saad Rafiq told Daily Times that the ARD meeting had unanimously decided to march against the Wana operation and that was why ARD General Secretary Zafar Iqbal Jhagra briefed reporters about the march’s schedule. “Had the march been a PML-N decision, we would’ve announced it from our party’s platform,” Mr Rafiq added. He said instead of issuing a one-sided version to the press, the PPPP leaders should have discussed the issue at the ARD’s platform. “The PML-N has deferred its plans to march against the Wana operation due to the PPPP’s refusal and will announce a new date after consulting other ARD components,” he added. Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader and Punjab PPPP President Qasim Zia said no decision to march against the Wana operation was made at the ARD summit. “The issue was just discussed between the allies,” he claimed.
The PPPP was against terrorism and one of the party’s policies was to condemn terrorism, he said, adding that protesting against an anti-terrorist operation was out of question. Sources said the continuous tug of war between the two largest ARD components on different issues was taking its toll on the alliance and one of them would soon leave the union.