When Maulana Fazlur Rehman was announcing the 26-point declaration and action plan of the Fifth All-Party Conference of the Opposition (APC) at a five-star hotel in Islamabad, the last point of the action plan was to change the elected government. The United Opposition will use democratic, political and constitutional options inside and outside parliament, including a no-confidence motion and the option of collective resignations from assemblies in due course.
So I thought the question of the right time must arise, because from day one Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been adamant that all opposition parties should resign from the National and Provincial Assemblies, and this time it seemed so again. That Maulana's desire for 'immediate resignation' was once again suppressed by the PML-N and the Pakistan People's Party.
But unfortunately there was no opportunity to ask questions after this announcement. This is probably because whenever there is such a big event that heats up the politics of the country, only those journalists who know the art of speaking loudly or have a good relationship with the host succeed in asking questions. Now, on the one hand, we are completely unfamiliar with the art of speaking out loud, and on the other hand, the responsibility of selecting journalists to ask questions was taken over by Maryam Aurangzeb, the spokesperson of the guest party, the PML-N, instead of the host PPP. Nazir Dhoki, the PPP's chief media coordinator, looked helpless.
Before the conference started, it seemed that this time too, this APC would prove to be like a 'dug mountain turned rat', but Nawaz Sharif's speech surprised everyone. When Nawaz Sharif was addressing the APC, Shahbaz Sharif was the most upset and Maryam Nawaz was the happiest.
All the anti-government parties seemed angry because of Shahbaz Sharif's conciliatory attitude. From the no-confidence motion against the Senate chairman to the recent joint session of the FATF, legislation has shown that the two main opposition parties have provided a safe passage to the government at every opportunity, now it is the result of some fear. I was there or to please someone, only the leaders of the opposition knew about it, but it is very clear that Maulana Fazlur Rehman was not ready to trust these two major opposition parties from day one, but this However, he had no choice but to go with them.
A few weeks ago, when Shahbaz Sharif was scheduled to meet Maulana at his residence, two and a half hours before the meeting, Nawaz Sharif's messenger had reached Maulana with a message and was having breakfast with him. Maulana was satisfied with the arrival of the messenger and after meeting Shahbaz Sharif, when the two leaders were talking to the media, it was clear that Shahbaz Sharif did not get anything in this meeting.
The night before the APC, Maulana had contacted Nawaz Sharif twice. Obviously, there were many talks and promises in these contacts, but the whole game was going on in those days. These are the days when news spread in Islamabad that parliamentary leaders, including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Shahbaz Sharif and others, were invited to a 'non-civilian dinner' during the FATF legislation, but were surprised. How can neither those who eat nor those who feed confirm it?
Well, back to Nawaz Sharif's speech in which he called for decisive action, but if you look at the action plan prepared against the government, it is clear that the new coalition of opposition parties is such a flower. Will not feed, which is expected immediately, as the announcement of non-cooperation with the government in legislation indicates that electoral reform will not be possible. Under PML-N itself, the process of electoral reform took 3 years, and this government has only 3 years left anyway. Another important point is that Maulana himself is not a part of the Assembly, the rest of the opposition parties including Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (MAP), Jamiat Ahle Hadith, National Party, Jamiat Ulema Pakistan (JUP) and Qaumi Watan Party. Not even in the National Assembly. On the other hand, the PPP has its own government in Sindh while Shahbaz Sharif is in the National Assembly and his son is the Leader of the Opposition in Punjab. How can these privileges be waived when you have no clear indication from anywhere?
During the APC, Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari were present till the end through video link. On one occasion, Asif Zardari said that when the PPP boycotted the elections in 1985, a new political class emerged in Pakistan and Pakistan's democracy was damaged, to which Maulana Fazlur Rehman laughed and addressed Nawaz Sharif that Mian Sahib, Zardari Sir is pointing at you. After which all the participants including Nawaz Sharif kept smiling.
But the arrangements made by the APC's host party to facilitate journalists before proceeding would be an abuse if not appreciated. BAT reporters often mention the PML-N's stinginess and civic-style hospitality, but this time the mention was too much, as the PPP decided to hold the APC at a five-star hotel in Islamabad. A large conference hall was booked, while a separate hall was also arranged for journalists. The hall was functional when the APC's decisions were announced at a press conference in the evening, but the hall had been booked for journalists since morning, including water, food and tea. had gone. If this were not the case, journalists, cameramen and media workers would probably be in a lot of trouble in the scorching heat and would get more bored.
One important thing was that all the matters went against the schedule of the APC. That is, the conference which was supposed to start at 12 o'clock started one hour later at one o'clock and ended at 9:30 pm instead of 5 o'clock. The frustration of the journalists was evident in the hall allotted to them, but after the end of the APC, when the leaders arrived in the hall for the press conference, except for Bilawal Bhutto and Maryam Nawaz, Shahbaz Sharif, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and other leaders It was not difficult to feel the tiredness on his face. On the one hand, the requirement of age, on the other hand, was the achievement of failure and less success.
The APC started at one o'clock, but all the parties have been holding meetings with their leaders since morning to participate in it. After that, it is a tiring task to reach the hotel and participate in the APC and reach a conclusion for important decisions. Was the process.
Maryam Nawaz had reached Murree from Lahore a day earlier. On September 20, she left Murree at 9.30 am and reached the residence of opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif at Munster Enclave on the road in front of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad at 10.30 am, where other party leaders were already present. Host Bilawal Bhutto had also arrived at the hotel half an hour before the APC time, so that he could receive the guests himself.
One of the reasons for the fatigue was that the leaders were involved in APC activities for more than 12 hours, while on the other hand, Nawaz Sharif's speech changed the game. The statement that was issued also seemed to revolve around Nawaz Sharif's speech, leaving out a few points. It seemed that the PPP had deliberately decided to hijack the festival with its own money at the hands of the PML-N, which is why the faces of Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto looked more satisfied than other leaders. There is a story behind this satisfaction.
The faces of Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto looked more satisfied than other leaders
The point is that two days before the announcement of the date of a harmless CAPC, Bilawal contacted Nawaz Sharif. It should also be kept in mind that the first 7-member delegation of the PML-N for the APC Maryam Nawaz was not included in the announcement. While contacting Nawaz Sharif, he was invited by Bilawal Bhutto to address the APC, which was accepted, but this announcement was also made by the PPP instead of the PML-N.
A day before the conference, Bilawal Bhutto's spokesman Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar issued a statement saying that Nawaz Sharif would participate in the APC through a video link and would also address it. In those hours, the PML-N formed a new delegation to participate in the APC, which included the name of Maryam Nawaz. Meanwhile, the PPP announced that Asif Zardari would also attend the conference.
The essence of the APC this time around is that although this time too Maulana's demand for collective resignations has not been met, but the time frame of the anti-government struggle has been fixed, but there are some issues, and the biggest problem. There will be a long march and sit-in in January.
There are two main reasons why such a strategy was not implemented in January. The first reason is the cold, that is, a month when the cold forces Islamabad to gnash its teeth, how can the various opposition parties put their workers to a test? Then the second and most important reason is that this will be the time when the manipulation of the Senate elections will begin.
If we look at the 2-year performance of the opposition, it is clear that despite having a majority in the Senate and a strong presence in the National Assembly, it has increased the power of the government based on its incompetence and compulsion. During the legislation at the joint meeting for the FATF, it became clear how the opposition provided a safe passage to the government, as has been the case in the past, whether in the process of budget approval, or other legislation. During the passage of the law in the National Assembly, it succeeds in provoking the opposition, and thus they walk out of the House, while the government puts its case behind it.
This time the results of the APC suggest that the money was spent by the PPP but the festival was returned by Maryam Nawaz, and Maulana was handed over the stage by the host himself. Maulana wanted a formal alliance of opposition parties, and he succeeded in doing so, a written declaration and action plan was his wish which was fulfilled. Shahbaz Sharif suffered in this whole scenario.
