Pakistan Views

PPP, PML-N and ANP on Tuesday held final round of talks before announcement the name of candidate for PM slot.The three parties have shown willingness to join hands for coalition government in Centre and the provinces after none of them could achieve simple majority to constitute independent governments. “PPP, ANP and PML-N discussed the details to finalize name of Makhdoom Amin Faheem as Prime Minister while Yousaf Raza Gillani as speaker of the national assembly,” the PPP sources said. ANP leader Asfandyar Wali called on PPP co-chairman Senator Asif Ali Zardari and discussed the issues of bilateral interest especially modalities to finalize joint government in Centre and the NWFP, the sources added. PPP has reiterated its assurance to extend its full support to ANP-led government in NWFP and, in response, the ANP leadership also repeated its stance to cooperate with PPP to run the government in Centre, Balochistan and Sindh.
In the evening a PML-N delegation including Nisar Ali Khan, Khawaja Asif and Ishaq Dar reached Zardari House and held a marathon meeting with PPP co- chairman Asif Ali Zardari. After the meeting, PML-N leaders told reporters that PPP, PML-N and ANP are all set to form a joint government and there existed a complete understanding on all important issues. Nisar said, “We want to give a clear message that PPP, PML-N and ANP are fully agreed on formation of a joint government in Centre, but there are some modalities that need further deliberation.”He said more meetings would be held in next couple of days between leadership of PPP and PML-N to evolve consensus on issues that were currently being discussed. “We are fully prepared to play our due role in resolving issues confronting Pakistan and a complete consensus would be developed on all issues within next eight to ten days,” he said. Ishaq Dar said the meeting was part of a series of meetings between Zardari and Nawaz Sharif and “we are trying to develop consensus on all important issues at the earliest.” The sources said PML-N leaders sought more time to formally inform the PPP leadership about its decision on whether or not its members would become part of the federal cabinet.

Three major winning parties have agreed to use muscles of the parliament to restore the dissident judges, but two of them appeared to be shying away from a key question of removing President Pervez Musharraf. PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, PML-N head Nawaz Sharif and Awami National Party (ANP) president Asfandyar Wali on Wednesday met here along with top associates to boost co-operation for the formation of the future governments at the Centre and provinces. According to details emerging after the first tripartite contact, there was a consensus among the three that jurists, including Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, must be brought back to their jobs immediately when the new administration is put in place. But it remained unclear whether the troika had also discussed and arrived to some common ground on the issue of what should be the fate of President Musharraf.
The President suspended (now-restored) constitution and removed Supreme Court Chief Justice in November last year to avoid a possible decision against the legitimacy of his re-election as president a month before. “They have agreed on judges’ restoration,” Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz chairman Zafarul Haq told media after more than two-hour talks. “Through the power of the parliament,” he replied when asked what would be the operational strategy of these parties for doing so, but declined to share specific details. Some top constitutional experts, like Fakhruddin Ibrahim, briefed Zardari, Nawaz and Asfandyar on how they could use their numerical strength in the parliament to reinstate Iftikhar Chaudhry and fellows. Earlier, at a show of strength gathering attended by 171 National Assembly members-elect, they also called on President Pervez Musharraf to immediately summon parliament so they can show they have the majority needed to choose the next Prime Minister.
Zardari and Asfandyar did not either directly call for Musharraf’s resignation, or threatened with impeachment. “We are united together to empower the parliament and finish the establishment once and for all,” Zardari said in a rather indirect and more rhetorical warning to Musharraf. Asfandyar also restricted himself from sending any strong message of confrontation to the President. The restoration of judiciary and upholding the rule of law must be the hallmark of struggle, he remarked. Nawaz, however, kept up his anti-Musharraf stance, perceivably a reason for which contenders from his party were voted to power by people mostly in the central Punjab and non-Pushtoon belt of North West Frontier Province (NWFP). “We must fight together; we must defeat dictatorship,” he added. He claimed that the three parties had already gained two-thirds majority in the National Assembly and they would have it in the Senate soon, a qualification they need to send Musharraf home, if a political will is there at all.
Polls’ outcome shows PPP, PML-N and ANP are close to grab two-thirds majority in the National Assembly to impeach Musharraf and bring back judges by amending the constitution.
But they do not hitherto have such a right in the Senate. Half of its members are to be elected in March next year through four provincial assemblies where their parties once again are in majority. So, academically, they need at least one more year to be able to oust Musharraf through a parliamentary reprimand. But, already faced by a hostile lawyers’ movement, he may not be in a position to survive another wave of unfriendly protests by politicians this time around.
AGENCIES ADD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) won the most seats but not enough to form a government on its own. The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) led by Nawaz Sharif, came second and the two parties are in talks, along with a smaller third group, on a coalition government that could force Musharraf from power. The coalition has been wooing several independent MPs in a bid to gain the two-thirds majority, even if it is just to increase the pressure on Musharraf, a bulwark in US efforts to tackle al Qaeda and Taliban militants. Asif Ali Zardari said the opposition should work together to end the supremacy of the military-led establishment. “I think the homage to my … wife would be that we unite together, we take democracy, we take power for parliament and once and for all, finish the establishment,” Zardari told the meeting. Nawaz assured Zardari that his party would extend full support to him, although he did not say his party would accept cabinet posts. Some senior officials in Nawaz’s party have said it might support the PPP, but not serve in the government. “We must see that we have a long-lasting democracy in this country and abandon the role of the army and the military in the politics of Pakistan forever,” Nawaz said. “This is what we should be striving for.” Nawaz said the opposition parties would end up with two-thirds of National Assembly seats and he called on Musharraf to call the session as soon as the Election Commission issues official results. It is expected to declare results by Saturday. “We are not prepared to wait for a single more day for the assembly to be convened,” he said. Talking to newsmen on Wednesday, Zafarul Haq said that during the newly elected MNAs meeting, Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and Asfandyar Wali Khan agreed on the reinstatement of the sacked judges and the power of parliament would be utilised for it.
“During the meeting, all the leaders expressed identical views and agreed over the restoration of the judges who were illegally sacked” he added. He said the legal experts Fakharuddin G Ibrahim, Latif Khosa and Farooq Naik expressed their views about the restoration of judges in the meeting. The PML-N Chairman said, a committee was set up for legal advice and to prepare its report within week to suggest steps for the restoration of judges.” “There were differences in the meeting and all the leaders agreed over the reinstatement of judges” he noted.

Election victors are to hold the first joint meeting of their new MPs on Wednesday in a show of strength against President Pervez Musharraf, party officials said. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) grouping and the Awami National Party (ANP) agreed to form a coalition last week. Musharraf’s backers were trounced in the February 18 polls and the coalition of opposition parties is demanding that the new parliament should be convened as soon as possible.
“Today’s meeting will be a show of strength from the coalition partners,” said ANP leader Afsandyar Wali Khan, who will attend the meeting alongside PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari.
“Musharraf should convene the parliament session as early as possible now,” Khan told AFP. The lunchtime meeting will bring together 89 lawmakers from the PPP, 67 from Pakistan Muslim League-N and 10 from the ANP.
The coalition has also been wooing several independent MPs in a bid to gain the two-thirds majority necessary to seek the impeachment of Musharraf, who seized power in a coup in 1999. Nawaz has openly called for President Musharraf to step down following the defeat of his allies in the elections, but the parties have not yet said whether they will try to impeach the president. Local media reports say Washington, Pakistan’s key economic and military backer, is trying to persuade them to give the key US ally in the “war on terror” a smooth exit from power. US Senator Joe Biden, one of three senators who observed the elections, said on Sunday that the political parties should not focus on old grudges and should “give him (Musharraf) a graceful way to move.”

Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) on Monday agreed on an agenda to eliminate terrorism, create provincial autonomy and restoration of judiciary. Speaking to press conference after party’s committee meeting ANP’s leader Asfandyar Wali said that crisis in the tribal areas and other parts of the country could only be resolved by involving all the stakeholders in the peace process.
He said his first and utmost priority is to restore peace and end the sense of insecurity among the masses. He was flanked by Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Afrasiab Khattak, Haji Adeel, Mian Iftikhar Hussain and others. He also said that the ANP MPAs in the NWFP Assembly would select their leader in a parliamentary party meeting, who would be nominee of the party for chief minister office.
Asfandyar said that he has a blind support for PPP in Sindh and Balochistan, while in the Frontier province PPP would back his party. Both the parties would form separate committees for the future set-up in the NWFP coalition government he added.
He said the parliament will decide the fate of the deposed judges and independence of judiciary.

The top leaders of Awami National Party (ANP) and Peoples Party have decided to form a coalition government in NWFP, ANP provincial chief Afrasiyab Khattak Saturday said.
Afrasiyab Khattak , said ANP and PPP have gained majority in the province and the top leaderships of the two parties have decided to join hands for a coalition government in the province. Khattak said the independents could have gained more importance in formation of government if ANP and PPP had not attained required majority of members in the province. “Some independent members have also contacted to ANP,” he added.

Three major winners in recent polls Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and Awami National Party leaders were in contact for formation of government in Islamabad. The parties holding consultations ahead of a summit meeting in Islamabad today (Thursday), sources said. PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari, PML-N Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Awami National Party leader Asfandyar Wali will hold consultations here in a meeting to reach on consensus over some crucial issues such as restoration of the deposed judges, strengthening of the national institutions, future of the president and other major issues. Mian Nawaz Sharif and Asfandyar Wali reaching Islamabad today for the meeting. The central executive committee of Pakistan Peoples Party held meeting on Wednesday to discuss the post-election scenario, while the PML-N central working committee meeting today in Islamabad.

The leader of Awami National Party (ANP) hailed its election win over religious parties as a triumph for moderate forces, but called for international aid to stamp out militancy for good. Asfandyar Wali Khan, chief of the Awami National Party (ANP), an ethnic Pashtun group, said economic assistance and political reconciliation were the key to success in a region where al Qaeda and Taliban militants are holed up.
The ANP could form part of a national coalition government after it deposed the ruling fundamentalists in troubled North West Frontier Province in Monday’s elections.
“The voters have made it clear that they do not want wars and militancy,” Khan told AFP in an interview on Wednesday at his palatial house in the remote town of Charsadda, as armed police stood guard.
“The foremost priority for us now is to restore peace in this province, which is now known worldwide for producing extremists and terrorists,” Khan said.
ANP rallies were bombed twice in the run-up to the polls, killing around two dozen people.
Police installed scanners at the entrance to Khan’s house and thoroughly searched the hundreds of well wishers he greeted in a traditional Pashtun ‘hujra,’ or sitting area, in his house.
The party now has 10 national seats after the parliamentary elections — while the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, an alliance of six religious parties, saw its seats fall from 56 to five. The ANP also clinched 31 out of 99 provincial assembly seats, while the religious party who formerly ruled the province won just nine.
Khan warned however that keeping momentum against extremism involved international economic assistance and ending the political disenfranchisement of many parts of the conservative province. “Our people have given their verdict and now the ball is in the court of the international community to support us in our quest to give our children books and pens instead of Kalashnikovs and suicide jackets,” he said. He blamed the ongoing insurgency in the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, and a recent uprising led by a militant cleric in the scenic Swat Valley, on the outgoing administration’s failure to engage the region’s people. “It is in fact the existing sense of deprivation and disenchantment which forced people to launch a rebellion against the government,” Khan said.
Pakistani troops have killed hundreds of militants in the troubled tribal regions bordering Afghanistan since 2001.But Khan was non-committal when asked whether his party would continue to support the Musharraf regime’s support for the US-led “war on terror.” The ANP has previously spoken out against Pakistan’s involvement, saying that a war of foreign powers was being fought on Pakistani soil.
“As far as the war on terror is concerned, this is something being supervised by the central government,” Khan said.
“This is not a provincial matter but we will discuss it with the centre after formation of new governments.” But he was clear of the need to solve the militancy problem.
“God help Pakistan and this region if these moderate forces fail to deliver and rid the country of terrorism, militancy and extremism,” the ANP chief said.