Cracks in the joint opposition appeared wider on Wednesday after former ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) conveyed to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) that it would not be part of any agitation against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government "before November" and asked the JUI-F to postpone its long march and sit-in till November. A delegation of PML-N stalwarts led by Ahsan Iqbal held a detailed meeting with Emir JUI-F Maulana Fazlur Rehman at Fazl's residence located in a posh area of the federal capital.
President PML-N Shehbaz Sharif was conspicuous by his absence from the meeting.
The PML-N delegation conveyed to Fazl the message of the president PML-N that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz was not ready to be part of any anti-government move before November. Moreover, the delegation stressed upon Fazl to halt his anti-government plans till then, sources privy to the meeting told Business Recorder. However, Fazl is insistent to go by the plan and launch long march or "Azadi March" cum sit-in in the ongoing month, it is further learnt.
"The government circles have already been claiming that Fazl would not launch long march and sit-in. His political survival is at stake. He cannot afford to back off from his stance. If he does, it would cost him dearly, politically," said a senior PML-N leader.
In what brews more problems for Fazl and his party, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has already distanced itself from JUI-F's anti-government campaign. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who was in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Wednesday, was quoted in media as saying that PPP is against the "tradition of sit-ins."
Earlier on Tuesday, both Shehbaz and Bilawal met in Islamabad. Reportedly, both the leaders agreed to convince the JUI-F chief to defer the Azadi March till November and evolve a consensus in yet another all-parties conference (APC) on the mode of the protest movement.
On June 26, the first APC of the opposition parties had decided to bring no-confidence motion against the chairman Senate. But the PML-N and the PPP, turned down the APC's proposal to quit the Parliament- in a scenario that seriously undermined the efforts of smaller political groups to launch a full-fledged anti-government campaign.
On August 9, the Rahbar Committee, an alliance of anti-government opposition parties having representation in the Parliament, had decided to convene the second APC to finalize strategy against the federal government after Eid-ul-Azha. In the same meeting, the opposition parties had decided that they would speedily investigate the possible defections of their members during no-confidence motion against Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, which proved unsuccessful.
On August 19, the second APC was held that was not attended by Shehbaz and Bilawal. The APC decided to prepare a 'Charter of Demands' before coming to the federal capital in a bid to dislodge the government but did not finalize any timeframe in this regard. It was also decided in the meeting that Rahbar Committee would meet on August 26 before the third APC that was decided to be convened on August 29 to finalize a collective strategy against the government. However, the third APC never took place. Apparently, it was postponed on the pretext of Shehbaz Sharif's 'serious ailment,' who was reportedly suffering from acute backache. In reality, however, the decision had been taken after JUI-F received a cold shoulder from the PML-N and PPP leadership regarding Fazl's plan to launch Azadi March and lock down the federal capital.
On August 25, a day before the Rahbar Committee's meeting, the JUI-F chief had proceeded to announce unilaterally after chairing a party meeting that JUI-F would launch an Azadi March in October. Fazal had also said that the proposal to launch Azadi March would be put before the opposition parties in Rahbar Committee's meeting held on August 26. Sources in opposition said that the Azadi March proposal was discussed in the Rahbar Committee's August 26 meeting but the delegates from PML-N and PPP refused to assure the JUI-F of their parties' complete support for the march. They, sources said, told the JUI-F leader Akram Durrani, who is also the Rahbar Committee's Convenor, that the matter would be discussed with the respective party leaderships before taking a final decision. "Fazl tried to play it wise by putting the ball in the court of PML-N and PPP. Without first having the matter discussed in the Rahbar Committee, he announced from the forum of JUI-F to launch Azadi March. This is because Fazl feared lack of support from major opposition parties and he unilaterally announced Azadi March to put pressure on PML-N and PPP. But this strategy has failed to work and there is a cold response from PML-N and PPP," said a source privy to the matter.
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