Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Durrani on Thursday claimed major reshuffling at the political arena prior to the general elections.
"I perceive emergence of new electoral alliances prior to the general elections the government coalition will unveil major surprises and the PML would come up with an election agenda, well worked-out strategy and manifesto," he added. He said this while talking to the press at his office after meeting with a 20-member students' delegation from Balochistan University.
Durrani was of the view that the opposition is divided and in my view, the APDM would meet the same fate which happened to the ARD as they (opposition) have ambiguous programmes and vague plans. Even they have yet to formalise an election agenda," he said.
Durrani said President Pervez Musharraf would be the ruling coalition candidate in the upcoming presidential polls. Even the opposition has vindicated the government's view that the presidential polls must be held between September 15 and October 15, adding that the presidential polls would be held in time and the electoral college would exercise its right to vote.
"Opposition is free to field their own presidential candidate," he said and added that if the opposition fails to field a candidate, the matter would be settled according to the Election Commission provisions. When asked to comment on the recent statement of Benazir Bhutto, Minister Durrani said there was no proposal for amending the constitutional bar on the hopefuls of a third term Premiership.
"No such amendment is on the agenda. No one should seek any unconstitutional favour from the president or anyone else. I tell you that the President would take all measures according to the constitution and no individual would exercise the rights of any institution," he said.
He avoided to comment on the matter of return of Sharif family from exile, saying that since the matter was subjudice hence could not be commented on the issue. He urged the opposition to respect the constitution and get rid of imposing the drawing room decisions upon the masses.
The opposition parties should submit their electoral manifestos before the masses so as the masses could differentiate them from one and other. Asking the opposition parties to shun the confrontational politics, the Minister said there was no room of confrontational politics in the country so as responsible political behaviours could flourish in the country.
Earlier, addressing the Balochistan University students, the Minister said the government was implementing mega development plans for all the federating units especially for Balochistan.
"The PML government has rectified the wrong doings committed by the past regimes. The government took prompt measures for the flood-affected people in the far-flung areas," he said. Urging the students to keep the national interest supreme, the Minister said that everyone should point out the wrongdoing.