Two separate meetings of the parliamentary parties of Pakistan People's Party from Punjab and NWFP were held here on Saturday to discuss the post-election scenario and options available with the party.
The first meeting, of Punjab MPAs-elect, was held in the morning, which was followed, in the afternoon, by the meeting of the elected members of NWFP Provincial Assembly. Both meetings were presided over by Asif Ali Zardari. Amin Fahim, Yousuf Raza Gillani, Jahangir Bader and Pervez Ashraf also attended the meetings.
The meetings offered fateha for Benazir Bhutto and paid tributes to her courage, wisdom and sacrifice and forcing the regime to hold elections and separating the office of army chief from presidency. They reiterated the demand that UN investigation be held in her assassination.
Welcoming the new legislators, Asif said that the party would formulate its policies in the light of the advice of its members and that was why he had called these consultative meetings to listen to the points of view of all members.
He also asked them to identify the problems faced by the people in their respective areas and indicate suggested solutions that were doable. He said that now that the poll results had been announced the participants had to brace themselves for facing the challenges. He said that the PPP, in association with other political forces, had to offer solutions to the political problems facing the country. "We have to take forward our electoral success by giving solutions," he added.
Zardari said that if the elections had not been selectively rigged the party would have fared much better. "However, we cannot shirk the responsibilities that lie ahead, even if the elections were rigged."
He said that it was due to the sacrifice of Benazir Bhutto that despite efforts of "invisible forces" the Pakistan People's Party had once again established its credentials as a truly federal party that had vote bank throughout the length and breadth of the country.
Asif said that the party had set up its own 'Election Monitoring Cell', and asked the members to lodge cases of rigging and electoral manipulation with the Election Commission of Pakistan and also raise at other legal forums through the Party's Monitoring Cell.
The participants candidly expressed their views on the pros and cons of alliance with the ANP in the Frontier and PML-N in the Centre and in Punjab and analysed threadbare the prospects and implications of such political alliances and how best to proceed with the cobbling together the alliances. The participants ruled out any alliance with PML-Q, saying that the 'king's party' no longer existed and had been banished by the voters. They also carried out an in-depth review of the political situation in the country and felt that circumstances were most propitious to correct the imbalance of power between the presidency and the Parliament House and for the restoration of the parliamentary supremacy.
They said that the party would not falter on its commitments made in the manifesto and the Charter of Democracy. Members also made suggestions for strengthening the Parliament's committees for effective governance through elected representatives.
The meeting of MPAs from Balochistan will be held in Islamabad on Sunday morning, to be followed by another meeting of the MPAs from Sindh, in the afternoon. Meetings of the losing candidates of National and Provincial Assemblies will begin from Monday and would continue for three days.
Losing candidates of Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Faisalabad and Gujranwala Divisions will meet on Monday morning, followed by meeting of losing candidates from Lahore City, Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur and DG Khan Division, in the afternoon.
On Tuesday, the losing candidates from Sindh will meet, followed by the meeting of losing candidates from Frontier and Balochistan on Wednesday.
The Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad, Satyabrata Pal, also called on Asif Zardari in Islamabad. Anwar Saifullah Khan and Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo also called on the PPP co-chairman, separately, in Islamabad. Later in the evening the Chinese Ambassador in Islamabad, Luo Zhaohai also called on Zardari.
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