Shehbaz invites Zardari, Bilawal, PDM leaders to dinner today

PMLN not to insist for resignations of opposition parties’ MPs

By Noor Aftab

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) would not insist for resignations of the lawmakers belonging to the opposition parties in upcoming meeting of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), sources told The News here on Sunday.

Sources in the PML-N confirmed to this correspondent that it has come to the conclusion that tendering resignations from the assemblies without the support of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would not serve any purpose and instead cause irreparable political loss to the movement of the opposition parties.

Sources, who are privy to the meetings of PDM, stated that “Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said time and again in the meetings of PDM that long march without tendering resignations would be a futile exercise, which means PDM would rethink about it and it may be delayed for unknown period.”

They also claimed that the PMLN, headed by Shehbaz Sharif, would again likely to turn towards the constitutional and parliamentary options to get rid of the government like in-house change both at the federal and Punjab level. “PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif is believed to have fully convinced that they should make their party ‘acceptable’ to the powerful quarters. On the other hand, Nawaz Sharif is concerned about the party image that adopted anti-establishment stance and mobilised its workers for civilian supremacy in the country,” sources said.

Sources said PMLN would now not press for resignations and early long march and would consider other political options to topple the Imran-led government, adding “PPP is now in constant touch with Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Shehbaz Sharif and it can make a return to PDM anytime in near future.”

If PPP comes back to PDM then it will again ask the component parties to put in efforts for no-confidence motion against the government and in this case PMLN President Shehbaz is likely to support this viewpoint as he is believed to be unconvinced about street agitation to achieve political goals, sources said.

Sources said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari constantly tried to have a meeting with Shehbaz Sharif but he tactically avoided it due to some obvious reasons. “PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had stated that now they would directly contact Shehbaz Sharif instead of Maryam Nawaz or any other in the PML-N and it was taken in bad taste by the PML-N leadership. Shehbaz Sharif thought that if he met Bilawal Bhutto Zardari then it would send a wrong message especially to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif,” sources said.

Sources said Shehbaz Sharif made a political move and invited Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari to a dinner along with other leaders of PDM today (Monday) to discuss the political situation and evolve future strategy. PMLN also believes that the Imran-led government may activate NAB to again arrest Shehbaz Sharif in any new case to stop his political activities.