PPPP playing double game, says Qazi

Malik73 · November 6, 2002, 10:40pm

No wonder BB went missing in action on Monday, just as Nawabzada sahib of the ARD was all set to announce her (BB’s) backing for Fazlur Rehman for the PM slot. Now the talk of the town is of a PML-QA and PPPP “national government” with Makhdoom and PM, after BB cuts a deal with the government she has been cursing for the last three years? A day is a long time in politics.

http://www.nation.com.pk/daily/today/main/top15.htm

PPPP playing double game, says Qazi

MMA Vice President and Jama’at-i-Islami Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmed has accused the PPPP of playing double game with them, saying it is making efforts to strike some kind of a deal with the government and keeping them waiting. In an interview with the BBC on Wednesday, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said the PML (Q) leaders have refused to accept the MMA nominee for the Premiership while the PPPP is trying to strike a possible deal with the government. He alleged on the one hand, the PPPP leadership is establishing contacts with the present rulers in order to get their demands accepted while on the other, it is keeping the MMA waiting. He further said the PPPP is making attempts to exploit this situation while keeping the MMA waiting and get more and more demands accepted in any deal with the government. He said the PPPP are demanding the release of Asif Zardari, permission to PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto to return home and withdrawal of cases against them.

The PPPP leaders are of the view that they will cooperate with the present rulers if their demands are accepted, he stated. To a question, he said the situation is that if the demands of the PPPP are accepted and it succeeds in striking any deal with the rulers, it will cooperate with the government and join hands with the pro-government parties and the MMA will sit on the opposition benches, adding “if their (PPPP) demands are not met by the government and they join hands with us, we may form a joint government or sit on the opposition benches.” To a question, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said there was no justification for the postponement of the inaugural session of the National Assembly, adding the sessions should have been held because the parties will come closer to each other in Parliament and those groups which are indulging in blackmailing or bargaining can be barred from this.

When his attention was drawn towards a statement by ARD President Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan that the ARD and MMA have agreed to share power as well as back joint candidates for Prime Minister and Speaker, Qazi said “The formal announcement was not made on Tuesday because the things were not settled. This would have been done if the matters had been settled,” he added.

ahmadjee · November 6, 2002, 11:44pm

Out of curosity, what does the forth P stands for in PPPP?

Pakistani_Tiger · November 7, 2002, 12:36am

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ahmadjee: *
Out of curosity, what does the forth P stands for in PPPP?
[/QUOTE]

Pakistan's Peoples Party Parliamentarians

Malik73 · November 7, 2002, 12:45am

Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians. A nominally separate entity from the PPP they set up to fight the elections under, as the PPP would have been banned due to BB being an absconder, looter and so on. Confusing I know.

More on the ARD and MMA agreement already coming apart, even before it has been signed.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_7-11-2002_pg1_2

MMA refuses to accept ARD’s proposals

*The MMA has refused to accept the proposals of the Alliance for the ARD on the formation of a coalition government. Talking to Daily Times, senior MMA leader and newly elected MNA Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said: “The ARD has been trying to put the MMA in an awkward position. We do not agree with the document of cooperation and refuse to sign it.” He said the MMA had so far not scheduled any more meetings with the ARD. “The PPPP is playing a dubious role and now the ARD will have to come to us if they want any reconciliation,” he said. MMA sources told Daily Times that the ARD had earlier indicated that Aitzaz Ahsan would be its candidate for the slot of National Assembly speaker; however, at the last moment, Amin Fahim said that they would announce their candidate at a later stage. The sources said that besides the slot of speaker, the MMA had also agreed to give the Foreign Ministry, Finance Ministry and Commerce Ministry to the ARD, but now they would review their decision keeping in mind the ARD’s attitude. On Wednesday morning, Qazi Hussain Ahmed left for the Lahore to discuss the present situation with his aides. However, the MMA leadership continued their inter-party consultations and discussed the latest situation. The political scene remained quiet on Wednesday following the failure of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) to evolve a consensus on joint candidates for the slots of prime minister and National Assembly speaker. According to sources, there appeared to be no signs of the two parties reaching an understanding, as the PPPP was more interested in direct negotiation with the government to seek relief for its leadership than in finding a solution to the ongoing crisis. Taking advantage of inconclusive talks between the MMA and PML-QA leaders, PML-QA nominee for premiership Zafarullah Jamali held a detailed meeting with his MMA counterpart Fazlur Rehman to move towards an understanding to join hands and form coalition governments in Islamabad, Karachi and Quetta.

The meeting, which started at 12:30 am on Tuesday-Wednesday night, continued for two hours and both leaders exchanged their views on consultations with other parties. Sources told Daily Times that Maulana Fazlur Rehman appeared dissatisfied with the attitude of the ARD, particularly with that of the PPPP, for taking the MMA on board only to build pressure on the government to pave the way for a deal. The sources said Mr Jamali and Mr Rehman discussed ‘various options’ of power sharing and agreed to analyse these in their inter-party meetings before reaching any conclusion. A Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader, on condition of anonymity, told Daily Times that Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan was working on Ms Benazir Bhutto’s agenda. “He is dancing to the tune of BB (Ms Bhutto). One can’t expect anything leading to democratic stability of him,” the JUI-F leader said. He also said that while the ARD had already publicly announced its support for the MMA candidate for premiership, there was no question of delaying a formal announcement in this regard. He said this had created doubts in the minds of MMA leaders, who ‘might’ change their strategy. Sources said MMA vice president and JI Ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmed had also expressed his reservations over the ARD’s indecision over the name of its candidate for National Assembly speaker. They said the JI leader was also upset over a statement of Makhdoom Amin Fahim, after his one-to-one meeting with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, that the prime minister would be from the ARD. Meanwhile, Fazlur Rehman postponed his political activities due to illness on Wednesday. MMA sources said doctors had advised two days rest to the Maulana.*

Shamraz_Khan · November 7, 2002, 6:14am

I agree with what Qazi shaib is saying. Did anybody see News Night with Talit Hussian on PTV? PPP guys was just beating around the bush when he was asked what exactly PPP wants. He didn't know. I think BB is trying to get most out of it, however, Mush is not willing to give in that much. She just using MMA to pressure Mush and West to cut a deal with her. If that happens it will be most unfortunate for Pakistan.

Malik73 · November 7, 2002, 7:04am

I agree with almost all you say, and I think you have accurately summarised the prevailing situation. The PPPP has been playing a double game all along with the MMA, and at the final moment bolted from making an agreement. The government let BB play ball with the MMA right upto the last minute, but obviously she could not go through with it at the last minute, as the government called her bluff. Now she is left with two options, both that in effect end her political career 1) Make a deal with the government, and allow Makhdoom become the PM in/or join a coalition with the PML QA - so ending the leadership of the Bhutto family in effect. or 2) Lose out to an emerging PML-QA and MMA alliance, as major Q leaders are now wanting, and which the MMA may take up to stop the PPPP getting into government.Top PML-Q leaders want coalition with MMA](http://www.dawn.com/2002/11/07/top4.htm)

tshombe39 · November 7, 2002, 12:03pm

Plunderers

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ahmadjee: *
Out of curosity, what does the forth P stands for in PPPP?
[/QUOTE]

Plunderers

tshombe39 · November 7, 2002, 12:14pm

Re: PPPP playing double game, says Qazi

PPPP playing double game, says Qazi

Serves him right. How naive of him to expect PPP to support his pro-Taliban stance when Benazir has been condemning the Taliban in the west.

As for Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, he is a plain trouble maker which Pakistan can do without.

Pakistani_Tiger · November 7, 2002, 1:08pm

Re: Plunderers

rvikz · November 7, 2002, 1:14pm

Re: Re: Plunderers

why did they get the highetst % vote if iam correct?
dont you think people deserve who they elect?

Malik73 · November 7, 2002, 2:21pm

Re: Re: PPPP playing double game, says Qazi

[QUOTE]
Originally posted by tshombe39: *
**PPPP playing double game, says Qazi*

Serves him right. How naive of him to expect PPP to support his pro-Taliban stance when Benazir has been condemning the Taliban in the west.

As for Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, he is a plain trouble maker which Pakistan can do without.
[/QUOTE]

The MMA are now in a race with the PPPP to ally themselves with the PML QA, and form part of the next government. Even before the delay in calling the assembly, and going back to late Monday (when BB and Makhdoom went MIA) just as the Nawabzada was about to annouce an ARD-MMA agreement, the inititiave had slipped away from the MMA. BB and co were threatening to go with the MMA, if their terms were not met i.e. the constitutional amemdments were not dropped etc, but the government called their bluff and refused to budge. That left BB hanging high and dry, hence she failed to publicly back Rehamn for PM, and has been unusually silent since then.

Now the PPPP may form part of the next government with the PML QA, and may get some deal on Zardari, but they will be forced to accede to almost all of Musharraf's constitutional changes, and the formalisation of his Presidency. The same for the MMA if it manages to strike a deal with the PML QA to form a coalition. It will be an interesting week ahead...:)

Shamraz_Khan · November 8, 2002, 3:16am

If this continues MMA and PML-Q maybe forced to unite and PPP and BB will get nothing out of it.

Fahim refuses to back Fazlur Rehman as candidate for PM

By our correspondent

ISLAMABAD: ARD leader Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan formally announced JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman as the ARD candidate for PM’s office late Thursday night but PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim told reporters at Nawabzada’s residence that he was not so sure about his party’s support to ARD candidate.

The major change in PPP-ARD leadership stance over future prime minister was witnessed when both separately talked to Sindhi newsmen on Thursday night, giving the most clear indication yet that PPP was still considering other options and trying to work out some deal outside the ARD.

Nasrullah Khan asked the PPP to give the name for the speaker of National Assembly to the ARD as he considered the issue of PM closed, but Makhdoom Amin Fahim said he would give both the names, for the PM and the Speaker, in a couple of days. When asked about Makhdoom’s reluctance to name Fazlur Rehman as PM’s candidate, Nawabzada said “everybody has a right to his opinion, but we will wait.”

Makhdoom Amin Fahim’s reply in the talks with the Sindhi press is being taken as a major policy shift as earlier, the PPP had cleared the name of MMA leader Maulana Fazalur Rehman for the slot of prime minister and was content with the National Assembly speakership and chairman Senate.

When asked about the Qazi Hussain Ahmad’s statement against PPP issued in Lahore that PPP was black mailing the ARD, Nawabzada said, this was his personal comment and everybody had the right to have one.

Nawabzada said, he was told by PPP leadership that they would not strike any deal with PML-QA because of their sharp differences and will give the names in a couple of days.

Makhdoom on the occasion said, that he was open to dialogue and negotiations with all political parties as in politics nothing is final. He said, the party was contacting Benazir Bhutto in the US and would soon inform the ARD about its final decisions.

Malik73 · November 8, 2002, 4:14am

As I said before, both the MMA and PPPP are in a race to agree a coalition with the PML QA. Hence the following - PML-Q & MMA talks today](http://www.dawn.com/2002/11/08/top5.htm)

Shamraz_Khan · November 8, 2002, 5:44am

So, does that means Jamali gets PMship and MMA will settles for speakership (maybe Liqat Bloch) and PPP will sit in opposition?

CM · November 8, 2002, 6:26am

Well it means all 3 are trying their best to suck up to the Military, including the PPP. They want power and will do anything to get it. So right now i wouldnt believe anything they say, unless the parliament is in power and holding its sessions.

rvikz · November 8, 2002, 8:06am

half miltary control and hals civilian control is confusing .
who can say iam the one leaderr who is in control ?

Malik73 · November 8, 2002, 11:11am