All major media outlets are reporting that Pakistan’s two main opposition parties, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), have announced to form the new government together. News reports also suggest this understanding has been reached at both center as well as provincial level.
The photo below shows Asif Ali Zardari shaking hands with Nawaz Sharif at a press conference after their meeting in Islamabad on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008.
According to the Daily News:
Nawaz Sharif maintained that there is no difference in the two parties on the restoration of the deposed judges. “We accept the mandate of PPP with an open heart and wish that PPP complete its five year term,†he said, adding, “struggle for restoration of judiciary will continue and CoD will also be followed.†PPP Co-Chairman, Asif Zardari said PPP and PML-N have decided to work together for democracy. However, he said, some of the matter are yet to be decided by the parties. Ali Zardari said that both the leaders have decided to stay united in the parliament. Nawaz Sharif said, ‘We fought against the dictatorship and will keep doing so.”
According to a Daily Dawn update of 23:38 hours PST
Former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday his party would form a coalition government with the party of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto after they won crucial elections. “We have agreed on a common agenda. We will work together to form the government in the centre and in the provinces,†Sharif told a joint news conference with Bhutto’s widower Asif Ali Zardari. “We will ensure that you complete a full five years’ term,†said Sharif, addressing Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)
What About the Judges?
According to Associated Press feed of 11:35 hours USA CST:
Sharif said the two parties had agreed in principle on restoration of judges purged by Musharraf when he declared emergency rule late last year — an issue that many see as a possible source of discord between the parties. “In principle there’s no disagreement on restoration of the judiciary. We will work on the modalities in parliament,” said Sharif, who has previously demanded the immediate reinstatement of the detained ex-Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry.
What Do You Think?
Our question to readers is; What do you think? Is this a good move, a bad move, a hasty move or were there any alternatives that got over looked. We would like to hear from you.
References:
1. The Daily Dawn Pakistan update here
2. CNN story here
3. Associated Press story here
4. The Daily News Pakistan update here
5. The Daily Jang Pakistan update here
6. BBC story here
Photo Credits: Associated Press
The two most notoriously corrupt personalities in the history of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan have joined forces; pity the hungry and the poor.
Add to this their reputation for incompetence, vengefulness, delusions of grandeur, and cronyism, and the scene is set for disaster.
1. Let’s not carried away by smiling pictures of the Mr. 10% and Ameerul Momineen.
2. Let’s also not forget that people of Pakistan did not vote for them.
3. I wonder if PPP would have won with such majority if Benazir was still alive? How much of it was sympathy vote how much a vote of confidence? That makes me wonder, who killed Banazir?
4. The ball is not in Plitician’s court, it is in the people of Pakistan’s court. they have proven that they can change things. Now they have to prove that they also will not forget those who decieve them.
5. As we have seen the politicians are still running to the US and Saudi Embassies to get their blessings, how are we going to counter that?
6. Zardari and Nawaz are showing their smiling faces together in public as long as they have the common goal of getting rid of Mussharraf, after that it will be a jungle again. So, to keep them working together and continue to prove that they have the best interest of Pakistan at heart, Musharraf has to stay.
Salam,
It was really heartening to see the leaders of the two largest parties in Pakistan sitting together and ready to support each other.
I hope they have learnt from there past mistakes during there days of exile.Ideologically both PPPP and PML-N are different with different manifesto’s and I hope this would not hinder in creating future policies for the country.
In Sindh, the blackmailing and bargaining power of MQM is over.Both parties have reservations about MQM. PML-N strictly will try to oppose MQM’s inclusion for the federal government.
The business community although wants MQM to be in the coalition otherwise they have serious doubts that MQM will try to disrupt the peace and stabilty in Karachi.
May ALLAH help Pakistan to see through this phase and bring prosperity and stabilty.
JazakALLAH
It is very encouraging that PML-N and PPP have gotten together and discussed, and an atmosphere of cooperation – and, hopefully, reconciliation – prevails in the country. Let us hope and pray that it continues.
Personally I am apprehensive about the durability of a tight coalition between two parties whose philosophy and ideology as different as PPPP and PML-N. I have serious doubts that it can last a full 5 year term.
It would have been better to separate the coalition for the purpose of repairing the political system, from the coalition for setting up a government. That is, the explicit committment between the two parties should be limited to restoring the supermacy of the parliament, reversing all post-1999 changes to the constitution (thus curtailing the role of the President to a figurehead), restoring and strengthening the civil institutions, particularly the judiciary and the media, and a comittmment to allow the parliament to complete a normal 5 year term.
Beyond that, the coalition for the purpose of setting up a govt need not necessarily be between the PPPP and the PML-N. One suggestion would be to set up a govt of national unity and not worry unduly about the rights granted by the seat strength in the parliament. This might allow some parties to play the role of a constructive opposition depending upon the issues at hand.
Some months ago I was in favor of retaing (58-IIb) in the constitution. After the more recent events, post November 3/07 in particular, personally I am no longer in favor of it. It should be removed from the Constitution by using the vote of a 2/3rd majority.
If all this is done, the issue of Musharraf’s removal becomes more or less moot. With his wings completely clipped, he may himself not wish to stay – not for long at any rate.
The ball is very much in the court of the politicians. It is their battle to lose in the eyes of the public. AZ’s prompt meeting with the US ambassador and Shahbaz’s dash to the Saudi Embassy in Isloo are worrisome signs. What will it take for the wannabe leaders of our country to develop some backbone and, for once, stand up for the dignity and rights of the people of Pakistan?
To everyone wanting to see Mush’s back: be careful what you wish for. He’s a decent check-and-balance to TenPercent and Amir-ul-Momineen – especially without his uniform. With the atta crisis, oil at $100 a barrel and (possibly) Obama in the White House in 11 months, the ride is going to get bumpy. Having Mush around will force the worthies to focus a little more.