The main opposition party of the country, Pakistan Muslim League-N has termed President Asif Ali Zardari's proposal for a roundtable conference of the political and religious parties to discuss "important national issues" as "a new joke and an attempt to gain more time."
Responding to the President's proposal Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly said: "What do they want to achieve from this moot? What issues do they want to discuss now? It is an attempt to run away from our 10-point agenda," Khan was quoted as saying by a news channel.
PML-N central leader Malik Pervaiz said: "It would be a "gol mol" conference without any sincerity of purpose only to gain time knowing very well that it would produce no results and an attempt in futility. What would be the need of such a moot, when the government was not ready to accept any sincere advice of the opposition, he said. However, PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal MNA said: "We will take a final decision about participation after seeing agenda of the moot."
PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has already expressed his indignation over the government's failure to implement his 10-point agenda to end corruption, cut 30-percent government expenses and ensure of good governance within 45 day deadline which expires in about ten days. The other main opposition party PML-Q - is also non-committal to participate in the roundtable conference.
PML-Q spokesperson Kamil Ali Agha confirmed that President Zardari has spoken to the Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi - to discuss the idea of convening the roundtable conference. Political analysts described the move of convening roundtable conference by President Asif Ali Zardari as a tactical move aimed at taking all political stakeholders on important issues. PPP leader Rehman Malik on Wednesday phoned Secretary General Jamaat-i-Islami Liaquat Baloch and extended invitation on behalf of President Asif Ali Zardari to attend the upcoming Round Table Conference.