PML on the verge of falling apart!

[Malik73]

And about time! As I predicted a few weeks ago the PML will fall apart if it's greedy leadership joins the GDA and PPP in an alliance against the government.

Its good to see some principled PML leaders stand out against an alliance with the PPP. Maybe they will be part of a future government that the CE sets up?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/wor...00/1032134.stm


Rift grows in Sharif party


A rift within the party of ousted Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif has intensified with dissidents invading the party HQ in Islamabad.

About 300 supporters of a Pakistan Muslim League (PML) faction opposed to Mr Sharif entered the building armed with sticks.

They ripped pictures of the former prime minister from the wall, and set fire to them.

They also put up banners opposing a plan by some party leaders to merge with an opposition alliance.

Police were called and cordoned off the area around the building, but said they would not intervene in what was an internal party matter.

Mr Sharif has been in jail since being overthrown by the military last year.

He is serving a life sentence for hijacking and terrorism, and has also been barred from holding political office.

Opposition alliance

The party was due to hold a meeting to discuss a proposal to join an opposition alliance against the military government when it was invaded.

The meeting had to be moved to the house of Mrs Sharif's wife, Begum Kulsoom.

Mrs Sharif has accused those opposing her of playing into the hands of the military.

Last week, leading PML members decided to join the opposition Grand Democratic Alliance at an informal meeting chaired by the party's chief co-ordinator, Raja Zafarul Haq, and attended by Mrs Sharif.

However, those opposed to the idea had not been invited or had stayed away.

They are unhappy about joining an alliance spearheaded by Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party - a long-standing rival of Mr Sharif's Muslim League.

Correspondents say signs of differences within the PML began to emerge almost as soon as Mr Sharif was overthrown last year, with some party members calling for an acting party president to be appointed.

The rift has grown since then, with some members unhappy about the increasing influence of Mrs Sharif over the party's affairs.

[CM]

Very good news Mailik.

------------------
CROIRE A L'INCROYABLE

[nomaan]

is it good news?

i mean, i'm not a big fan of PML and PPP, but a breakup of PML will just leave PPP alone as a big party.

I read that nawaz sharif's wife was saying that they wouldn't mind if the rule was given to PPP. Now, if anyone has any common sense, we can see why shes doing that. she wants to get hey hubby out of jail and have the charges dropped. PPP would like the idea of coming into power as well, and have charges against their members dropped.

Its just a sad state of affair. I hope mushraf put the army as a third option on the ballot in like 2 yrs time, and ends up winning 'fairly', but sadly the uneducated masses are again going to fall for the false promises of the politicians..

oh well.. the cycle continues

[Malik73]

Nomann the PPP is more discredited than the PML and its chances of ever making a comeback are slim to zero. Even in its strongholds in Sindh it is hugely unpopular, with people decrying BB's betrayel of ZAB's principles.

Today it seems that the PML is in fact officially breaking up into 2 parties, and not how the most talented (and frankly more honest)leaders are joining the anti-Nawaz PML faction - Chaudhury Shujaat, Mian Azhar, Fakhar Imam who between them control the 3 major powerbases of the PML in Punjab - Gujarat, Lahore and the Seraiki belt.

PML splits as Nawaz group joins GDA

Anti-Nawaz workers take over PML House; Shujaat, Ijaz, Azhar and Faqir's basic membership suspended; Nawaz loyalists hold meeting at Kulsoom's residence

By Shakil Shaikh

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League (PML) decided to suspend basic membership of four top leaders for forcibly taking over the PML House, said Raja Zafarul Haq while addressing a press conference here on Monday.

It also decided to join hands with the PPP and other political parties for the restoration of the Constitution and democracy, said Zafar, who was flanked by Begum Kulsoom Nawaz and others.

Raja Zafarul Haq Committee was authorised to finalise details and modalities of alliance with other political parties, said one of the four resolutions the PML Central Working Committee (CWC) passed following a marathon meeting held at the newly-rented posh residence of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz.

Insiders said no body opposed joining hands with the GDA, PPP or other parties. A majority of members, however, demanded a new name for the alliance. The PML committee met at Kusloom's residence after around 1,000 supporters of Mian Azhar and those opposing the PML's alliance with the GDA and the PPP forcibly took over the control of the PML House.

Ch Shujaat Hussain, Ijazul Haq, Mian Azhar and Faqir Hussain Bokhari's basic membership had been suspended and PML Secretary-General Saranjam Khan authorised to initiate proceedings against them and others, announced Raja Zafarul Haq.

In a high-pitched political drama, anti-Nawaz workers, who were brought to the PML House on buses, used force to throw Nawaz loyalists out of the building at around 5:00 am. The local administration, said an eyewitness, helped the attackers establish control of the PML House.

The attackers, the eyewitness said, were raising slogan "Wazir-e-Azam Mian Azhar". They reportedly manhandled Mian Anwarul Haq and 10 other pro-Nawaz workers. The police cordoned off the area and prevented people from coming close.

Early Monday morning, people from Lahore, Gujrat and Rawalpindi started reaching the PML House. They were equipped with weapons and batons. Most of them abused the Sharif family in typical Lahori dialect. They tore apart all the pro-Nawaz banners, photographs of Sharif and others and wrote slogans in favour of Mian Azhar.

Mian Azhar said the protesters were the members of Tehrik-e-Nijat. He said they were still facing trials in courts and it was their spontaneous reaction to the ill-conceived move by some PML leaders to join hands with the PPP. He denied having established his "Qabza" over the PML House.

Raja Zafarul Haq accused the government of preventing some important Leaguers from attending the meeting. "The people who took over the PML House were fully backed by the government agencies, though we did not exercise the option of resistance and remained peaceful. We avoided the clash, though some of our workers were manhandled and beaten up," he complained.

He said the alliance with other parties would only be for the restoration of the Constitution and democracy, with no change to be acceptable in the Constitution. He said the committee comprising himself, Zafar Ali Shah, Saranjam Khan, two PML members from Sindh and all the heads of the three allied parties would start negotiations with Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan and other political and religious parties for a broad-based national political alliance.

One of the resolutions, he said, expressed full confidence in the leadership of Nawaz Sharif. "Those who took over the control of the PML House by committing terrorism with full backing of the government would face disciplinary proceedings for their formal expulsion from the party," he said, adding that dirty trolleys were thrown in the PML House, window panes were smashed, and computers and other equipment had been broken down by the "goondas".

He said the CWC authorised Saranjam Khan to take action against all those involved in taking over the PML House through "goondaism". He said the negotiations with the GDA would start soon. A resolution passed by the CWC meeting said: "Pakistan is facing grave crisis due to overthrow of democracy. The country is facing diplomatic isolation, which has posed serious consequences for our strategic interest and economy. The PML believes that the time has come to launch a national struggle for restoration of constitution and democracy. The PML will contact all political parties and alliances to form a broad-based national alliance for restoration of democracy and Constitution as well as a new political contact which shall involve mutual respect and tolerance, supremacy of constitution and law, continuity and consensus on national economic policy, promotion of good governance, strengthening of democratic institutions, freedom of expression and enfranchisement of middle and educated class in the democratic process to give the nation a roadmap for a strong and a sustainable democratic system in the country."

The resolution was drafted by PML chief organiser Ahsan Iqbal. In another resolution, the PML welcomed the visit of APHC leader Abdul Ghani Loan to Pakistan and urged the OIC to make all the Muslim countries to break ties with India as they did in case of Israel for committing aggression against Palestinians.

Earlier, Mian Azhar, Ijazul Haq, Abdul Sattar Laleka, Hamayun Akhtar, Abida Hussain, Fakhar Imam, Ch Shujaat Hussain, Ijazul Haq, Khurshid Kasuri and some others addressed a joint press conference in which they unfolded their demands. They handed over a five-point demand package to Javed Hashmi who visited the residence of Ch Shujaat Hussain.

Their demands were: first, the PML should stick to its demand of restoration of assemblies; second, the PML General Council be convened for deciding the crucial matters; third, the joint parliamentary party meeting should be held; fourth, a 10-member committee, comprising five members from each side, be formed to identify the list of CWC members; fifth, the matter of joining hands with the PPP be put off.

Ijazul Haq said that they were working for unity of the party and they would not accept any decision imposed on them. Mian Azhar and Ch Shujaat assured the workers that nobody would be allowed to sell out the party.

[CM]

Very good news.
I am very happy with this spilt.
And Nomaan, the PPP has no credibility left so, who cares if they are the biggest party, nobody is going to vote for them.

------------------
CROIRE A L'INCROYABLE

[Malik73]

Dito to what CM said!

Hey I'm still waiting for your "deleted" e-mail CM?

[Ahmed]

This may increase the number of parties acceptable to the public,thus raising prospect of a future hung parliament.Unless there are more alliances among the current 15 or so groups/parties existing at this moment.I hope there are.

[rvikz]

loss of crdedibility of major parties
only creats political vacum. that give rise to extremist parties coming to power

[Malik73]

Ahmed hopefully this new party will be a strong and principled party after all it will have the more talented members of the former PML. Eventually Pakistan is bound to return to a two or three party system, that is after the PPP splits or gets rid of BB.

P.S. Rivkz this is not India you know?

[This message has been edited by Malik73 (edited November 21, 2000).]

[Ahmed]

Malik I donot share your optimism about PML baaqiyat.Let's hope PPP never gets rid of BB.

[Mr Xtreme]

This is the reason why I support the CE's stance on creating grass roots political parties so we can have a democracy in substance not just name. The PPP and PML have become nothing more than vehicles for certain people and their families to get rich in as quick a time as possible.

Both these parties are a joke and from the crap that Benazir and Kulsoom are still spouting, nothing much has changed.

[CM]

That deleted message is actually on the thread where i ask what happened to the thread.
Read it there.


------------------
CROIRE A L'INCROYABLE

[nomaan]

lets hope its true that no one will vote for ppp, but, i think thats being very optimistic.
We can see that it would be the right thing, but the masses in pakistan are not known for their logical thinking (mostly the uneducated, and then some educated ppl as well).

its not as if, the anti-nawaz group is full of sharif (no pun intended) loog, but i guess, when elections come, it'll be who's the lesser evil.

[AbdulHameed Khan]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by nomaan:
[B]is it good news?

i mean, i'm not a big fan of PML and PPP, but a breakup of PML will just leave PPP alone as a big party.

I read that nawaz sharif's wife was saying that they wouldn't mind if the rule was given to PPP.

They wouldn't mind if the rule was given to PPP! The Shariffs and the Bhuttos think that it is their privelege to Rule. Like 'The Divine Right of Kings' in the medieval era. These corrupt politicians have used (mis-used is more correct) the Western system of Democracy to come in power and loot the country. Even the Great Satan now feels shy of flaunting the slogan of Democracy. Its high time that the people of Pakistan realized that the Western concept of Democracy is devoid of Justice and Tolerance.
The people of Pakistan crave for Justice and they should understand the whichever system gives them Justice is suitable to us.
No Justice! No Peace!

[rvikz]

who will be next democractically elected
leader?