ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senior leadership Tuesday set preconditions for the return of Pakistan People’s Party to the fold of the opposition alliance of Pakistan Democratic Movement.
It merits mention here that the PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif had urged the PPP to return to the PDM fold at a dinner he hosted for the opposition parliamentary leaders on Sunday.
In this regard, Shehbaz visited the residence of PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and urged him to get the PPP back in the PDM fold.
However, Fazl told the media following the meeting that the PPP leadership would have to submit an apology for return to the PDM and explain its position on Senate opposition leader’s election.
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl said that the PDM had convened the leadership meeting of the alliance on May 29 and the PPP should explain its stance at the meeting.
Moreover, taking a tough stance against PPP’s return of the PDM, three PML-N senior leaders Maryam Nawaz, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the PPP had to meet some preconditions to rejoin the PDM.
Interestingly, former prime minister and PML-N senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has clearly said that he would resign as secretary-general of the PDM steering committee if the PPP joins the PDM again.
Abbasi said that the PDM had not extended an invitation to the PPP to rejoin the alliance.
“There are serious concerns on the return of the PPP to the PDM fold. But if the PPP becomes part of the opposition alliance again, the PDM should find a new secretary-general. I will not compromise,” Abbasi told media here responding to the possibility of the PPPs return to the PDM.
“If anyone wants to rejoin the PDM, then trust must be restored. The doors of PDM are closed for the PPP for now. First, the PPP must restore trust, then come and read the show cause notice they had torn and explain,” remarked Shahid Khaqan Abbasi referring to the show cause notice of the PDM which had been torn by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari at a presser.
PML-N Vice President Maryam also echoed what Abbasi told the media the same on the day.
Talking to reporters outside the Islamabad High Court, she said that former premier Abbasi, PML-N and she had the same position on the return of the PPP to the PDM fold.
She said that PDM is not a new alliance and it had decided that its top leadership would meet soon after the holy month of Ramadan.
When asked about her absence from Shehbaz’s dinner, Maryam replied that she had a separate role from Shehbaz and that she has to fulfil her responsibilities.
“Since it was a dinner of parliamentarians, I didn’t attend as I have my own personal engagements. Shahbaz Sharif was there to represent the PML-N there. We all are the PML-N but have different responsibilities,” she concluded.
PML-N Spokesperson Marriyum also denied any invitation extended to the PPP to rejoin the PDM. She said that issues related to PDM were not discussed at the dinner hosted by Shahbaz Sharif and no offer was made in this regard.
She said that the proposal Shehbaz made at the dinner was that the opposition parties should unite within the parliament and formulate a budget strategy.
It may be recalled that Shehbaz had given a dinner to the opposition parties in which PPP and Awami National Party leaders also participated. Sources had claimed that Shahbaz Sharif had invited the PPP and Awami National Party to rejoin the PDM.
According to sources, the delegations present at the dinner of PPP and ANP have sought time from Shehbaz in this regard so that they can think and consult the party in this regard.
