Fazlur Rehman calls Nawaz Sharif, Zardari to firm up movement

ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz — the two major components of PDM — are sticking to their strategies to oust the government, JUI-F chief and PDM head Fazlur Rehman Tuesday called ex-PM Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari and discussed the future strategy against the government.

It was agreed that the PDM meeting slated for February 4 will discuss different options to oust the government. After the telephonic conversation, the PDM rally to observe the Kashmir Day on February 5 has been shifted from Rawalpindi to Muzaffarabad.

Talking to newsmen, Fazl said no dialogue was going on either with the government or the establishment. “If anyone wants to talkto us, they should come to us after meeting our demands,” he said, adding that no U-turn had been taken on the long march and resignations except for a change in the strategy.

“If we resign en masse before the Senate elections, then the government will cash in on this situation. Hence, the option of resignations and long march has been deferred until after the elections,” he said.

Fazl said he personally thought that the no-confidence could not serve the purpose, as the results of no-confidence motion against the Senate chairman were before everyone. Fazl said after a complaint was made to Zardari on the matter of no-confidence, it was decided that all the decisions would be taken by the PDM with consensus and such kind of statements should be avoided.

“It would be better had the PPP raised this issue in the PDM’s February 4 meeting,” he said. To a question, the JUI-Chief Fazl said there was complete understanding between Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari on removal of the government.

“Both have different ways but the aim is the one,” he said. Replying to a question, he said, “We have no desire to march towards Rawalpindi. If they are neutral, then why don’t they look so?” He asked if people didn’t know what had happened in Gilgit-Baltistan elections. “Everyone knows what’s being planned with regard to the upcoming Kashmir elections,” he said.