The PPP-P has been holding big rallies in places like Pindi, and obviously feels no compulsion to have the Nawaz people tagging along.
PML-N seethes at PPP snub
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) considers the Pakistan People’s Party’s decision not to participate in its all parties conference (APC) unless it is held under the ARD to be an expression of no-confidence in the PML-N. “Our leaders consider the recent decision of the PPP leadership not to attend the APC as an expression of no-confidence in the PML-N. Mian Nawaz Sharif had sought the opinion of PPP Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto by sending her the agenda of the moot,” sources in the PML-N told Daily Times. They said that Sharif had decided to convene the APC because he had good ties with other opposition parties. If the PPP were to hold the APC, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) would be reluctant to participate. The sources added that during his meeting with Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan had expressed concern that the PPP would not attend the APC, but Sharif was still optimistic about the party’s participation. The sources said that the top leadership of the PML-N in Pakistan had discussed this development with Nawaz Sharif. “Once we get a formal reply from the PPP, only then will we decide whether this APC should held under the umbrella of the ARD or not,” said the sources. However, they said that the PML-N believed the PPP’s decision would send a negative signal about the ARD and Charter of Democracy signed last year. The sources said that a PPPP delegation would meet with the PML-N today to formally communicate its decision. They said that after this meeting, the PML-N leadership would chalk out its future strategy regarding the APC.
BB is too busy until at least March touring the US I believe to meet up with Nawaz, who has been left all alone again.
PML-N agrees to delay MPC
The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) on Monday accepted People’s Party Parliamentarians’ suggestion to delay the multi-party conference (MPC), convened by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in London next month, saying the delay “could only be for a few weeks and not for an indefinite period”, sources told Dawn. The PPP had formally requested the PML-N to delay the conference during a meeting with a delegation of the latter held at the PPP Central Secretariat to discuss the issue of the participation of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The PML-N delegation was headed by the party’s chairman Raja Zafarul Haq and comprised Secretary-General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal, Sardar Mahtab Abbasi, Khawja Saad Rafiq and Khawja Asif. The PPP team comprising Raza Rabbani, Dr Safdar Abbasi, Enver Baig and Raja Pervez Ashraf was led by the party’s President Makhdoom Amin Fahim. It was the third meeting between the leadership of two the parties in one week to discuss the MPC issue.
According to sources in the two parties, PPP leaders apprised the PML-N team about decisions of a joint meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) and Federal Council (FC) held on January 20. They said that the CEC and the FC had rejected the idea of the conference being hosted from the PML-N platform and suggested that it be held under the umbrella of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy. PPP leaders also said that the CEC and the FC had not taken any decision about Benazir Bhutto’s participation because the date of the conference had not yet been finalised.PPP leaders, according to sources, said that they were not against the idea of holding the MPC, but wanted that its agenda and the expected declaration be made clear. On the issue of Benazir Bhutto’s participation, they said that she would be pre-occupied during the dates proposed for the conference and, therefore, would not be able to attend it. The PML-N leaders replied that they were ready to delay the event for some times in order to ensure Benazir Bhutto’s participation. The PML-N leaders said the MPC could even be held in the first week of March, but could not be extended beyond that. “We cannot delay it for an indefinite period,” one of the PML-N leaders was quoted as telling the PPP leaders. Both sides agreed to meet again on Wednesday at the residence of PPP Secretary-General Raja Pervez Ashraf after discussing the matter with the heads of their parties. In a brief chat with a group of newsmen after the meeting, Mr Fahim and Raja Zafar claimed that there were no differences between the two parties.
Its going to be interesting to see the elections in Pindi, particilarly the former NA-38, Sheeda Talli's stronghold. I suspect it wont be too rosy this time around for Sheikh.
You could be right Spock. Last week the PPP-P held a big 50,000 strong rally in Pindi, which am glad the government is allowing this as it shows they don’t want to stop genuine political discourse in the country.
PPP holds ‘election rally’ in Pindi
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Sunday ruled out any deal with the government and announced that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto would return to the country during the current year. Speaking at a rally at the Liaquat Bagh, PPP leaders said the party workers would not tolerate any hurdles in Ms Bhutto’s return. About 50,000 people attended the party’s first election rally after reaching the place in processions from different areas of the city. All Pakistan Minorities Association president Shahbaz Bhatti also attended the rally with his supporters. Speaking on the occasion, Punjab PPP president MNA Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Ms Bhutto had decided to return to Pakistan this year ahead of the elections. He said Ms Bhutto did not need the permission of President Pervez Musharraf for returning to the country. He warned the government of serious consequences if it created any obstacle in the former prime minister’s return. “We will resist any hurdle in the way of Ms Bhutto and we expect that nobody will block her arrival,” Mr Qureshi said. He alleged that the government intended to rig the elections but said the PPP would mobilise the public in this regard by holding countrywide rallies. He said the prevailing price hike, unemployment and deteriorating law and order situation had multiplied the miseries of common people but the regime was oblivious to their problems. Mr Qureshi claimed that the PPP would emerge as the winning party if fair and transparent elections were held. PPP general-secretary Raja Pervez Ashraf requested Ms Bhutto to land at Islamabad airport, claiming that the people of the Potohar region would extend an exemplary reception to her. He said that the presence of a large number of people at the rally proved that the masses wanted Ms Bhutto to be the prime minister for the third time. A large number of the student and youth workers were raising slogans urging the party’s chairperson to return to the country at the earliest. MNA Naheed Khan said the anti-state policies of the military regime had spread hatred among the provinces. She expressed the fear that the federation would collapse if free and fair elections were not held in the country. MNAs Nayar Bukhari and Zamurd Khan, MPAs Farzana Raja and Ishtiaq Mirza and Senator Dr Babar Awan also spoke. Online adds: AJK PPP president Chaudhry Abdul Majeed alleged that the government wanted to divide Jammu and Kashmir.
:hehe: Spock bhai, last week BB and Nawaz was in Dubai at the same time but she did not go to meet up with him - quite a snub in fact. Whatever politcking the PPP-P does in public, it is quite clear that they have come to understanding with the President-General of Pakistan, and that is why BB really wants to keep a distance from ex-ganja. Though, I think BB may still meet up with Nawaz to keep stringing him along.
Benazir won’t attend PML-N’s APC
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto will not attend an all parties conference (APC) in London if it is held under the aegis of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Geo television quoted sources as saying on Sunday. The channel said the PML-N had earlier asked the PPP leadership to declare within three days if Benazir would attend the conference. Sources said Benazir would participate in the conference only if it is held under the aegis of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy. They said a PPP representative, not Benazir, would attend the conference if it is held under the aegis of PML-N. The channel said that the PPP was also asking the PML-N to ensure the conference declaration does not have any demands unacceptable to the former. **It said that a scheduled meeting between Sharif and Benazir in the third week of February had been cancelled for unknown reasons. **
Btw, Nawaz was in Dubai because the UK govt in effect asked him to leave, and get his six-month visa renewed outside, and then he could come back. Pretty humiliating for a former “lion of Pakistan”, especially as the Saudi’s also threw his family out of their palace last year as well.
Pakistan People’s Party Chairperson, Benazir Bhutto, will not attend the All Parties Conference (APC) called by the PML-N, and instead a PPP party delegation would be sent to the meeting, ARD Chairman and senior PPP leader, Makhdom Amin Fahim, announced Thursday.(Posted @ 21:05 PST)
That leaves Nawaz Sharif (PML-N) in water !!! and he will never learn thats in his nature…so much talk about “Combined Opposition Parties”. They can not move Musharraf an inch from the chair!
Pakistan People’s Party Chairperson, Benazir Bhutto, will not attend the All Parties Conference (APC) called by the PML-N, and instead a PPP party delegation would be sent to the meeting, ARD Chairman and senior PPP leader, Makhdom Amin Fahim, announced Thursday.
The humiliated Nawaz party-walas are saying that BB is too busy on her foreign appointments (although she snubbed him when he was in Dubai but met the ANP leader instead). Of course she is busy in foreign lands, quite desperately trying to get the attention of foreign leaders whom only Musharraf gets to meet.
Re: PML (Nawaz) seethes at Bhutto’s PPP over snub (merged)
BB still too busy snubbing Nawaz, and making deals with the People’s President Pervez.
The deal reports were reinforced when both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, who is also in Dubai, did not hold a meeting although they were in the same city. Political observers believe that the distance that both Nawaz and Benazir kept between them in Dubai was a clear message from BB to Musharraf that she is willing to play.
