Ties between Nawaz, Zardari further strain

ISLAMABAD: The working relations between top leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and PPP have turned further strained as the PML-N Quaid former prime minister Nawaz Sharif declined to talk to Asif Ali Zardari in the wake of hard-hitting address of the latter in the PDM head of parties closed door meeting last week.

PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is trying hard for reproachment between the two. He spoke both separately on the following day of the meeting of the alliance where Zardari refused to submit resignations from the assemblies along with the long march against the government.

The political sources told The News here Sunday that the only bone of contention between the PML-N and PPP is resignation from the assemblies and sit-in after long march. The recent events also helped in aggravating the relationship of the two parties. The nomination of leader of opposition in Senate and support for PML-N candidate in Karachi NA-249 seat where the PML-N has fielded Miftah Ismail as its candidate under a previous understanding between the PDM member parties.

The PPP has also designated its candidate in the contest by defying the understanding. Former prime minister and senior vice president of the PML-N Shahid Khaqan Abbasi visited Zardari House on Saturday to muster the support of the PPP for Miftah and had meeting with the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The sources said that the PPP leader didn’t give assurance to the visiting PML-N leader for the Karachi polls. Instead, he put it off on the pretext of consulting the party before taking any decision. The sources said that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has reported the matter to party Quaid Nawaz Sharif and sought his guidance in this regard.

PDM chief Maulana Fazl announced on Sunday that alliance workers will accompany Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Friday when she will appear before the NAB regional office in Lahore. Since the announcement has come from the PDM platform and the PPP is still part of it. The PPP has serious grievances about the NAB and it is offended about the conduct of the NAB. It is unclear that the PPP workers and leaders will express solidarity with Maryam Nawaz Sharif on the occasion.

Maulana Fazl will talk to the PPP leadership about the matter as he understands that robust participation of the PPP workers in groups with the convoy of Ms Maryam would help in overcoming the tension between the two parties. The sources hinted that Maulana Fazl could dash to Karachi for meeting with the PPP leaders this week provided he receives positive signal from there. He will make yet another attempt for restoration of mutual confidence between PML-N and PPP stalwarts. He will try to have a trilateral conference with Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari while in Karachi, the sources added.