LAHORE – Strong possibilities of formation of an alliance comprising PTI, JI, some parties of Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and nationalist parties of Balochistan and Sindh appear bright who are all set to oppose an expected upcoming caretaker set up if the above mentioned parties are not taken into confidence by the ruling coalition over the formation of the temporary government, The Nation has learnt.
Insiders in PTI, JI, SIC and some nationalist parties of Balochistan and Sindh privy to the uneasiness among their respective party ranks regarding the formation of a caretaker set up without their consent told this correspondent on Wednesday that creation of a tough Opposition alliance is already under consideration if the ruling coalition and other parties of the Parliament didn’t take them into confidence while shaping up a caretaker set up.
When asked, could it be revival of All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), they said, “Of course we may call it APDM’s revival, as PTI, JI, some parties of the SIC and nationalist parties of Balochistan and Sindh were part of the defunct alliance”.
The insiders informed that informal talks have already begun among the political entities to stop the PPP-led ruling coalition and the PML-N to ignore them in the process of formation of a caretaker set up, which will hold free and fair elections.
When asked that PML-N President Mian Nawaz Sharif has already asked the ruling alliance to take into confidence all the political forces, they while quoting senior party leaders as saying that PML-N cannot be trusted at the moment, as it had already betrayed them once in the defunct APDM by not boycotting the 2008 polls.
They said that the senior party leaders suspect that PML-N has some kind of secret understanding with the PPP over the formation of a caretaker set up.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Vice Chairman PTI when contacted said that the government hasn’t sought their consultation over the issue of the caretaker set up.
He said, “The PPP and PML-N alone cannot decide the issue of formation of the caretaker government”.
Qureshi warned, “The expected caretaker government will face resistance if it doesn’t carry the support of all the political forces whether sitting inside the Parliament or outside”.
The PTI senior leader observed that political parties outside the Parliament are also the stakeholders in the next general elections and keeping them out of the decision making to form the caretaker set up will prove a disastrous recipe.
Fareed Paracha, senior JI leader when reached said that a caretaker set up formed with the consent of the ruling coalition and PML-N will not be accepted.
He said, “JI will reach out to its likeminded political parties, which include the PTI to form an Opposition alliance to resist a partial caretaker set up”.
About the possibilities of revival of APDM, Paracha said, “yes the possibilities of the revival of the defunct alliance are there, as PTI, some religious political parties and nationalist parties of Balochistan and Sindh still share the views regarding the caretaker set up formation similar to the JI”.
The veteran JI leader said that all the political parties whether sitting inside the Parliament or outside are stakeholders in the next general elections and a consensus-based caretaker set up is the key for next polls in a transparent manner.
Naveed Chaudhry, senior PPP leader and coordinator to President when contacted said, “We are only bound to fulfil the Constitutional requirement while forming a caretaker government and the Constitution demands that the Leader of the House should consult Leader of the Opposition for the formation of a caretaker set up”.
He remarked that political parties inside the Parliament enjoy the mandate of the people of this country and they are only bound to follow the Constitution and not the wishes of the parties sitting outside the Parliament.
He, however, said that there will be no deadlock over the issue of formation of the caretaker set up when time comes to form the same.