ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F), the two major parties of the opposition alliance of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), on Monday called out their ally, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), for its announcement of resigning from all PDM offices and asked to withdraw its nominee, Yousaf Raza Gillani, as leader of the opposition as a precondition for rapprochement.
While JUI-F Secretary General (SG) Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri welcomed resignations by the PPP, Rana Sanaullah of PML-N, asked the PPP to explain why it had stolen the slot of leader of the opposition in the Senate by getting votes from Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), an ally of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Rana Sanaullah sought another explanation from the PPP, which has left the opposition parties’ alliance PDM.
Rana Sanaullah said that it was against principles for the PPP to get its nominee elected as leader of the opposition through votes stolen from the ruling coalition.
“This is not acceptable for the PDM. It is an act against all democratic norms. The PPP should also explain why it got votes from BAP. If the show cause notice given to the PPP is to be returned, then the leader of the opposition of the PPP must also be withdrawn,” said the PML-N leader.
Rana Sanaullah said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman will convene a meeting in the next week to formulise a new strategy.
“This meeting will finalise PDM’s protest program under our plan to launch our movement against the government which will be fully implemented after Eid. While we hope that the PPP and the Awami National Party will also continue its struggle against the government elected from their own platform,” said the PML-N leader.
Meanwhile, JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri has also congratulated the PPP for its departure of the PDM.
“The PPP committed political suicide today and we are happy for them to leave the PDM. The only way for the PPP to return to the PDM fold is that Yousaf Raza Gilani must resign from the slot of the opposition leader in the Senate. Once this happens, then we can move forward,” Haideri told media.
The JUI-F leader accused the PPP for extending its support to Imran Khan’s government.
“We were demanding the PPP and other allies to tender resignations from assemblies before launching the long march as the movement could be effective if we are done with our stakes in the system,” he said.
Ghafoor Haideri said that the anti-government campaign can only succeed if we are focused on it.
“If the PPP was to support the anti-government campaign, it would have not jumped the ship. Since the PPP has no more with us, we will now be able to run a focused anti-government movement,” the JUI-F leader said.
He said that the PPP must tender an apology to the nation for seeking votes from the Balochistan Awami Party.
“The PPP leadership made a mockery of democracy. They made a political blunder and now is using tricks to fool the public. The people will teach a lesson to the PPP in the next election for what it has done to the opposition’s cause,” concluded the JUI leader.
