Azadi March participation: Shahbaz, Bilawal agree on further consultations

ISLAMABAD: Leaders of two main opposition parties, Shahbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Tuesday agreed on further consultations for participation in the proposed Azadi March, planned by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) religio-political party against the incumbent government.

The two leaders agreed on sending the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government packing through a joint strategy, to be evolved along with the other opposition parties. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and opposition leader in National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif held a meeting at latter’s residence here, along with the delegations of their parties.

The PPP delegation consisted of former prime ministers Yusuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf, PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman, Secretary General PPP Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, Naveed Qamar and Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, while from the PML-N, party secretary general Ahsan Iqbal, former speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Marriyam Aurangzeb attended the meeting.

The meeting decided that the PML-N and the PPP would suggest jointly to Maulana Fazlur Rehman to hold his ‘Azadi March’ in November, instead of October, and convene an ‘All parties conference of the opposition to formulate a consensus agenda of the opposition for toppling the PTI government.

The meeting also decided that Bilawal and the PML-N senior leadership would meet Fazlur Rehman to convince him to delay the Azadi March till November and convene an APC of the opposition to formulate a the consensus charter of demands for the opposition movement.

“Shahbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari agreed in the meeting that the PTI government must be sent packing for the country sake, as the national economy is in dire straits,” said PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal while talking to the media, along with Senator Sherry Rehman after the meeting.

Ahsan said there was complete understanding and consensus between both the parties for launching a joint anti-government movement by the combined opposition. “The leadership of both the parties will meet Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday to offer condolences on the death of JUI-F leader Maulana Hanif in a bomb blast in Chaman recently. They will inform him about the decision of the central executive committees of the parties and the consensus reached between the two parties on joint struggle against the government,” he said. Ahsan hoped that the schedule of anti-government movement would be finalised within next few days.

He said holding of fresh free, fair and transparent elections was only solution to the current situation of the country. He said the government left Pakistan alone globally, farmers are suffering, industry had been ruined and unemployment had increased in the PTI government.

He said that the opposition’s solidarity with Kashmir was not influenced by any political ideology. "The entire Pakistani nation is united and standing by the Kashmiri people."

PPP parliamentary leader in Senate, Sherry Rehman, said it was a bitter reality that the tsunami of change had broken the back of people, who had been overburdened due to inflation, unemployment and rising prices of the petroleum products. “The prices of petroleum products were decreasing in the international market, but the government had put extra burden on people domestically.

He feared that the upcoming winter season would increase gas bills, she added.

In a reply to a question, Sherry Rehman said there were no differences in the PPP. She said Maulana Fazlur Rehman would be made part of consultations and it would be ensured that no unilateral action is taken by any opposition party. “It has become indispensable to overthrow government and whatever action we want to take, must be taken unanimously,” she added.

She said the prime minister had not taken the House into confidence over Palwama and Balakot issue, adding that PM Imran Khan should take the House into confidence over his US visit also.

In reply to question, she said the protest against the incumbent government was not against the spirit of the Charter of Democracy. “The government would be sent back to the place where it came from,” she claimed. She said the worst rigging was committed in the last general elections and every party protested against it.

She said the rulers had forgotten all promises they had made with the people and, to hide their failure, they were now opting for reshuffle in the cabinet.

Senator Sherry said every prime minister made a speech in the United Nations General Assembly but what concrete measures the incumbent government suggested for the Kashmiri people, who were under curfew for the 57 days. “Whether prime minister talked about provision of medicines and other necessities to the people of occupied Kashmir?”

She said the PM was pointing out the mistakes of the previous governments at every place. It was not time for such things, and he should strengthen the economy and give respect to the parliament, she added. She said the ruling party wanted to run the country through executive orders and ordinances. And if that is to continue, then they should lock down the parliament, she said.

Sherry said the government should apprise the opposition about the promises it had made with the IMF. “The parliament should be taken into confidence in this regard,” she added.

The PPP senator said 29 bills were bulldozed on Tuesday which was unprecedented in the parliamentary history of the country. “They want to lock the parliament, but we will not let them do so,” she warned.

In reply to a question, she said everyone knows that they (PTI) were not elected to the government but were imposed on the country.

In reply to yet another question, Senator Sherry said a joint strategy would be made on the matter of disqualification of the National Assembly deputy speaker.