The opposition parties including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Awami Muslim League (AML) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) have unanimously demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister after the apex court's judgement but have differences of opinion on launching a joint movement.
The joint opposition parties constitute a total of 87 seats in the 342-mmember National Assembly, dominated by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) which alone has a total of 189 members besides their staunch allies including PML-F [13], PML-F (5) and PkMAP (4).
Talking to Business Recorder, PTI senior leader Dr Arif Alvi out-rightly rejected any political alliance with parties like PPP. "We cannot go along with corrupt elements such as Asif Ali Zardari. We believe that Zardari and Sharifs are supporting each other through an underhand deal," he said.
Alvi said that PTI has its principled stance and it would continue its efforts towards putting pressure on the Prime Minister to resign. Senator Farhatullah Babar said the doors of PPP are always open for all opposition parties. He said that PPP demanded resignation of the Prime Minister after the judgement in the Panama Papers case was announced. "We want to move forward by taking all the opposition parties on board to launch a movement against PML-N government," he said. However, he added the party has not approached any other party for this purpose so far.
JI parliamentary leader in National Assembly Sahibzada Tariqullah said that though all the opposition parties have a similar stance, yet every party has its own line of action.
"We are untied in the parliament on the same agenda [resignation of PM], but everyone has in own strategy," he said, in response to a query if there was any possibility of a joint opposition movement outside parliament. However, he revealed that a meeting of the central party leaders has been convened in Mansoora tomorrow (Monday) in which the party would announce its future strategy with regard to launching a mass movement against the government.
The PML-Q also called for resignation of the Prime Minister soon after the court verdict and is supporting the two major opposition parties - PTI and PPP - but has not yet decided its future strategy. Talking to Business Recorder, PML-Q spokesman Senator Kamil Ali Agha said that his party was part of the movement inside parliament to put pressure on the premier to step down. However, future strategy or any movement outside parliament would be announced after his party's meeting today (Sunday). Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has opposed the call for the Prime Minister to resign.
MQM's Sheikh Salahuddin said his party respects the judgement of the apex court which did not ask for the premier to step down. Asked whether MQM was approached by other opposition parties, he said no opposition party has approached his party's leadership on the matter so far. AML chief Sheikh Rashid urged all political parties to form a grand alliance against the government.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017