-Fazal says no benefit of long march unless resignations are submitted
-PPP again opposes resignation option
-Maryam says Will try to convince those opposing resignations option
-Eleven parties alliance set to meet today
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday said there would be no substantial benefit of the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s planned long march to Islamabad if the opposition members did not resign from the parliament first.
Addressing a press conference in Peshawar, the PDM chief said the issue of the resignations had been put on the agenda for the opposition alliance’s meeting today (Tuesday).
“In my personal opinion, if we don’t submit resignations from this parliament then there may not be a lot of benefit to the long march,” he said. Divided over the issue of submitting resignations from the assemblies at a time when the long march is just two weeks away, the heads of the component parties of the PDM will hold a crucial session in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Rehman said the PDM meeting will discuss the final plan of action for the march, scheduled to take place around the end of the month.
JUI-F and the PML-N had decided to insist on their proposal of submitting en-masse resignations from the assemblies. On the other hand, the PPP after a series of in-house consultations and brainstorming sessions has decided to oppose the idea at any cost.
The JUI-F believes that after losing the elections of Senate chairman and deputy chairman despite having a majority, it has become imminent for the opposition parties to come out of the assemblies. Moreover, sources said, the JUI-F leadership was of the view that the Senate polls had also proved that their move to bring a no-confidence motion against the National Assembly speaker or the prime minister would be a futile exercise.
The PPP, meanwhile, believes that the opposition has gained much ground and political space after the recent by-elections in the country, noting that the victory of Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in the Senate elections caused a major dent in the ruling alliance.
The PPP leaders believe that the by-polls and the Senate elections have strengthened the party position, therefore, the opposition should give a tough time to the government while staying in the assemblies instead of leaving the field open for the government.
Talking to reporters in Lahore Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Monday said that they would try to convince the parties in the PDM platform who are opposing the option to resign from assemblies.
“We will try to convince them as we have also listened to them in the past,” she said while speaking to media in Islamabad after a consultative meeting of the PML-N.
She lamented the government over demanding the resignation of the ECP chairman and its members and termed it an attack on the state institution.
