LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party sees a threat to the political system and has advised the PML-N government to defuse tension (with the military) by showing flexibility.
The PPP is also likely to hold a central executive committee meeting shortly to discuss the civil-military tension and the campaigns of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Dr Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek against ‘rigging’ and the electoral system.
The PPP has also asked the government to take the PTI’s demand of verifying thumb impression in four constituencies to check the veracity of the rigging claim.
The PPP has also hinted at supporting the demand for mid-term polls if the rigging is proved in the four constituencies in question.
“The PPP sees a threat to the political system because of PML-N government’s mishandling of certain issues, especially the one arising after the attack on anchor Hamid Mir,” Punjab PPP President Mian Manzoor Wattoo said.
Talking to Dawn here on Tuesday, he said the government’s mishandling of a media group-ISI issue in the beginning and then allowing it to drag on posed a threat to the system.
“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should have played his role in resolving the matter and taken strict notice of ISI bashing but he allowed it to linger on,” he regretted.
Mr Wattoo said the PPP leadership had shown maturity and flexibility during its tenure and thus successfully completed its five-year term and ensured a peaceful transition of power.
“The PPP is only backing the PML-N to strengthen democracy. However, it supports the PTI’s demand of thumb verification in four constituencies and it may consider demand of mid-term polls,” Wattoo said.
“We fail to understand as to why the Election Commission is showing reluctance in carrying out the thumb verification in four constituencies. In case the verification gives credence to the rigging allegations, the moral and legal authority of the PML-N government will erode and the country’s political landscape will be bracing for a new crisis for which the ruling party will be held responsible,” he said.
Commenting on a possible anti-government alliance of PTI, PAT and PML-Q and Jamaat-i-Islami, the PPP sees it as a mismatch. “Such a political alliance will be a mismatch because of divergent political views of their leaders,” Wattoo said.
Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2014.