News
Monday, July 02, 2012
PML-N ‘fails’ to get support of religio-political partiesBy Manzoor Qadir
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is desperately in search of a strong political alliance with a prominent religious party such as the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) to bag votes from religious corners in Punjab after Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) dramatic surge in popularity in the province.
The PML-N is even ready to surrender its key constituencies if it gets a positive nod from the JI leadership.
Although there is a least chance for making an alliance with the JI, the PML-N leadership is in constant contact with the central leadership of JI and using influences of some mutual friends, which are in sizeable numbers in both the parties, Daily Times has learnt from well-placed sources.
PML-N central leaders’ recent visit to Mansoora was a maiden attempt in this respect. Although the private parley did not get the desired results, the PML-N leadership decided to continue to use backdoor channels for negotiations with the JI in future too. Sources privy to this venture said that on last Thursday, Imran Khan and JI leader Syed Munawar Hassan posed a friendly picture but it did not mean that the JI had shut the doors of negotiations for the PML-N.
“Politicians have no personal likes and dislikes and they make decisions according to need of the hour. The PML-N-JI alliance is not out of question in the upcoming elections,” sources said.
Sources said religious votes were important, particularly for right-wing political parties and no one could afford to lose them. The PML-N is, therefore, leaving no stone unturned in reaching out to religious parties, including the JI, sources said.
Sources said the PML-N was still in touch with the JI leadership through backdoor channels and offering the latter three important seats only in Lahore. “The PML-N is also ready to accommodate JI candidates in more than 10 districts with one national and two provincial assemblies seats each across the province in the upcoming elections,” sources said.
The PML-N’s earlier attempts to wield a joint venture in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi have failed miserably, as JI hardliners were not ready to trust the PML-N and giving preference to Imran Khan over PML-N President Nawaz Sharif. Sources privy to this venture said the PML-N had struck a reticent deal with Fazlur Rehman, president of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the Maulana is neither ready to share seats on one-to-one basis nor give the PML-N the due share if it goes in the upcoming elections after reaching a political alliance. Sources added the JUI-F chief wanted to make an alliance with the PML-N only when the JI and PTI contest elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by making an alliance against his party.
Sources said the JUI-F chief is also demanding both national and provincial seats in Punjab in case of a deal “but this is not going to be digested by the PML-N leadership”.
They said the PML-N deems Imran Khan “the biggest threat” for its survival and if Nawaz Sharif’s party loses key seats to the PTI then its survival could be in danger in Punjab.
“Therefore, the PML-N’s high command is analysing the current political situation closely and in case it finds no alternative way then it could develop a reticent understanding with the PPP and PML-Q in the upcoming elections for its survival,” sources said.
Sources also said that the PML-N’s old ally and crony Senator Sajid Mir, leader of Markazi Jamiat Ahle Hadith, is also in dock this time because most of his friends and veteran clerics of the party were against contesting elections from the PML-N platform. They are also insisting Sajid Mir to contest elections on its own party’s platform, sources said.
Ibtisam Elahi Zaheer is said to be a vibrant force behind this development and making circumstances hard for Sajid Mir to join the PML-N ahead of elections.
Furthermore, the sources said, the situation was exasperating because the PML-N had rejected to join Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) and resultantly, Hafiz Saeed of Jamaatud Dawa, and other hardliners of Ahle Hadith and Deoband sects, including Maulana Ahmed Ludhanwi, have turned against Nawaz Sharif.
The PML-N leadership is now in a fix and desperately seeking a religious alliance in Punjab. But it seems Nawaz Sharif will have to face four powerful rivals in elections. They are the PTI, JI, PML-Q and PPP and the ultimate beneficiary of this rivalry will be Imran Khan.
The PML-N is also said to have suggested Fazlur Rehman to revive the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal but the Maulana is not interested in it.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk