| LAHORE
Lahorites became depressed when the PML-N announced its decision to leave the coalition government. People were glued to their television sets to see Mian Nawaz Sharif’s press conference. Most of the people interviewed by The News said they were very depressed over the situation. They believed that now the country would be pushed into political turmoil, affecting the economy.
A large number of people gathered outside their homes and in streets to discuss the situation with their family, friends and acquaintances.
Khurram Shehzad, owner of a food outlet, said that Nawaz Sharif was a great man and his decision was very wise. He praised the PML-N’s decision to field its own candidate for the presidential election.
Abdul Samad, a fish seller, said Nawaz’s decision was in the favour of the country. Raheem Zahid, another citizen, said that he expected what had happened. He said Nawaz Sharif was the political son of Zia-ul-Haq and separation of PML-N from PPP was an expected outcome.
Zulfiqar Hussain Qureshi, another citizen, said that now the PPP could easily proceed to solve the problems of people. Waseem Mughal, a visitor to Lakshmi Chowk, said the coalition was a mixture of fire and water, which could not co-exist. He said an unnatural alliance had come to an end.
Parvez, a resident of Bhati Gate, said people needed Roti not judges or the president. He said economy would suffer now and people’s problems would increase. The split between coalition partners is not in line with the wishes of businessmen who besides ensuring political stability and unified approach on economic issues had connections on both side of the divide. There was gloom at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry whose president Mian Mohammad Ali had just returned from a foreign visit. He expressed dismay that a great opportunity for unified national policies on all issues has been lost. He hoped that both the PPP and the PML-N would ensure that the country is not destabilised and they help each other on the economic front in supreme national interest.
Group Captain (r) Naeem Ahmad Khan, the former chairman of the Lahore Stock Exchange, said that the PML-N’s leaving the coalition is great blow to the efforts for economic revival. He said the ruling party at the centre should take separation as a challenge and bring highest level of transparency in its economic policies. He said the country needed prudent and transparent economic policies based on best national interest to recoup the losses suffered during the past 18 months. He said the stock market needed special attention. He said regulators should be asked to ensure that the exploitation of small investors ended. He said unfortunately all the turmoil in the capital market was blamed on influential people in the PPP. He said it was high time that the party cleared it image on this count.
Former Chairman PIAF Mian Abuzar Shad supported the decision of PML-N. He said the separation of major coalition partners had at least given the opportunity to the federal government to adopt its own policies and take full credit or blame depending on the success and failure of policies. He said it would be folly on part of the PPP to destabilize the PML-N government in Punjab. He said this way it would be held responsible for all the failures of the provincial government that could easily convince the electorate that the federal government did not allow it to operate freely. He said all the successes would go to the credit of the PML-N and it would boast that it achieved these despite a hostile government at the centre.
Traditionally, businessmen and industry have a clear tilt towards the PML-N as its top leadership emerged from their community. However, since economic policies in Pakistan are not based on fair play the businessmen try to cultivate relations with the party in power. The compliant businessmen are rewarded through special licenses or business opportunities by every the ruling party. The businessmen always lost face on change of government because of the support they provided to the previous government.
Representatives of student and teacher bodies have termed the PML-N decision to leave the coalition government a wise decision, saying the coalition could never serve its purpose if deposed judges were not restored.
Talking to The News, most of them said the exit of the PML-N from the coalition government would provide other parties especially the PPP a chance to prove their commitment to the nation.
Central president of the MSF-N Rana Arshad said PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif took a wise decision after consulting the party’s central working committee and parliamentarians to say goodbye to the coalition. He said the PPP Co-chairperson did not stand by his word despite the fact that he made a commitment to restore judges. He said that by presenting himself a candidate for the presidency, Zardari had in fact made fun of the nation. People would not accept him as the president of Pakistan, he said.
Raheel Shah, the central organizer of the People’s Students Federation, said the decision to pull out from the coalition was a hasty and unwise decision on part of the PML-N. He said the country was in dire need of unity but unfortunately the PML-N leader was playing in the hands of undemocratic forces. He said issues would have resolved with the passage of time.
Punjab University’s Academic Staff Association (PUASA) President Dr Mumtaz Ahmed Salik said Mian Nawaz Sharif had taken a bold decision and stood by his word. “How can someone who did not stay firm to his commitments hold the office of the president of Pakistan,” he said. He said that since the prime minister represented the PPP, the president of Pakistan should not be from the PPP. “The president is the symbol of federation.” “The president should be a neutral figure,” he added. He said the PML-N nominated candidate for the presidency - Justice (r) Saeed uz Zaman Siddiqui - was a suitable candidate for this slot.
Mumtaz Malik, a spokesman for the Imamia Students Organization (ISO), said things had become clear now and his organisation supported the PML-N’s decision. He said now the PPP would solely be responsible for things. “If Asif Ali Zardari does not value his commitments anymore then he would have to face the music like former president Pervaiz Musharraf,” he said.
Atiqur Rehman, the nazim-e-ala of the Islamia Jamiat Talaba, said that those who had betrayed the nation and time were never forgiven by both. He said the coalition had finally met its logical end. Referring to the ongoing operation in FATA, he said that it was unfortunate that people were forced to migrate within the county because of rulers’ policies. He said Zardari’s appointment as the president would not bode well for the country because he was following the policies of Musharraf.
Jamat-e-Islami Secretary General Ameer-ul-Azeem has demanded the PML-N move court against the election of PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari as the president of Pakistan.
In a statement issued on Friday, Ameer-ul-Azeem said that if according to Article 62/63 of Constitution of Pakistan even a member of a union council involved in corruption could not be elected to any office, then how Asif could hold the office of presidency as he faced several corruption cases in the past.
He alleged that Asif was corrupt and had pocketed millions of rupee during the tenure of the Benazir government. He said that Asif had broken several agreements and promises regarding the restoration of ‘deposed’ judges, therefore, he was not a reliable candidate. He alleged that Asif and his party were busy in extending their rule and were not willing to resolve serious issues.
By Mansoor Ahmad and Khalid Khattak
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