Makhdoom Amin Fahim has summoned an emergency meeting of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) next week to review PPP-PML-N ties and overall political situation. The meeting has been convened in Islamabad following contacts between top leadership of both the parties on Friday and Saturday, ARD sources told Business Recorder here on Saturday. "Number one agenda of the meeting is PPP leaders' position on reports of contacts with the establishment," these sources maintained.
When contacted, ARD secretary-general Zafar Iqbal Jhagra confirmed that Amin Fahim took the decision after consulting alliance members.
He brushed aside the impression that his party would boycott the ARD and PPP meetings unless its concerns regarding the establishment-PPP contacts were removed.
Speaking at a news conference, PML-N senior leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan broke the news of suspension of party ties with the ARD as well as the PPP.
However, the alliance secretary-general clarified that Chaudhry Nisar, during his telephonic talk, made it clear that he never talked about PML-N's boycott of the ARD or the PPP meetings.
Zafar Jhagra said PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq had talked to Amin Fahim and he also discussed the situation with the PPP leader on Saturday.
The ARD secretary-general pointed out that both the sides needed to allay apprehensions, as any further delay would be harmful for the alliance vis-à-vis its struggle for the restoration of democracy. However, he was confident that the alliance would remain intact.
Political experts believe that the persisting confusion in the alliance ranks best suited the government while holding parleys with the PPP.
In this connection, he cited his telephonic talk with Amin Fahim who landed in Lahore on Saturday after talks with party head Benazir Bhutto in Dubai.
Amin Fahim, he said, reiterated his party's stand that the PPP would take the ARD in confidence over contacts with the establishment and nothing would be decided outside its ambit.
"The PPP leadership held out this categorical assurance in response to our concerns," Zafar Jhagra said.
Asif Ali Zardari, who returned from Dubai last week, admitted his party's contacts with the establishment, not only angering the local leadership and workers, but also the ARD component parties.
PML-N chairman Raja Zafar had reacted to such reports, saying any party striking deal with the government would be committing a huge blunder.
To a question, the ARD secretary-general said they were quite clear that they would be contacting Amin Fahim as PPP vice-chairman, as despite his key position in the party, Asif Zardari did not enjoy the mandate in this connection.
Zafar Jhagra said the ARD parliamentary party in the Senate would hold its meeting prior to the Senate's opening sitting in the parliament, adding there was no question PML-N staying away from its deliberations.
Meanwhile, opposition leader in the Senate Senator Mian Raza Rabbani would be back on Monday after holding extensive consultations with Bhutto in Dubai.
She summoned him immediately after PML-N decided to seek clarifications from the PPP. He will be briefing the party leader about political situation in the wake of Zardari's homecoming.
Party sources told Business Recorder that Zardari upset many hard-liners by issuing series of statements over PPP-establishment contacts. "His lacklustre stand on the still detained party workers is highly demoralising for all and sundry," sources added.
Benazir Bhutto, sources revealed, received scores of emails in recent days, complaining against Zardari's statements and asking her not to give in on the party's principled stand on democracy and the parliament's sovereignty.
The Restoration of Democracy Alliance was made the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy after the PML-N government was sent packing in 1999. PML-N joined the alliance later.
Ever since, the two major political forces have moved along hand-in-hand barring their stand on some matters.
The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) is all set to raise the issue of government's policy on Kashmir tangle when the Upper House meets on Monday.
"President Musharraf's statement that Pakistan is ready for joint control of Kashmir or even an independent Kashmir is what the Indians want," he charged.
MMA spokesman Shahid Shamsi told this scribe that his party felt that the government's policy was not in line with the wishes of the nation and Kashmiris.
He pointed out that the MMA would also like the house to pass a resolution, similar to the one passed by the National Assembly on Friday against the misbehaviour meted to Senator Maulana Samiul Haq at the Brussels airport.
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