ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani appears to be the first victim of President Asif Ali Zardari’s extreme anger and vengeance as the Chaudhrys of Gujrat and the president are believed to have agreed to form an alliance in the Centre and deprive Gilani of premiership.
This new strategy envisages that the PML-Q forward bloc in the Punjab would be legally stopped by the president by issuing an ordinance, and, once the Punjab was under control, the PPP and the Q League will go ahead with their coalition in Islamabad.
The framework of this strategy was finalised in secret meetings between President Zardari and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Ch Pervaiz Elahi and Moonis Elahi. These meetings have, however, been denied by the presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar.
Top sources have claimed that Chaudhrys told Zardari to extend cooperation not only in the Punjab but in the Centre as well. The federal government has started considering some sort of legislation to deal with the issue of the 34-member forward bloc of the PML-Q. Talking to our sources, PML-Q Senator Tariq Azeem, also information secretary of the party, said that if both the PPP and the PML-Q managed to form a government in the Punjab, then definitely it would have a direct impact on Islamabad too where these two parties could form an alliance. However, he did not give further details of this alliance.
The sources said President Zardari was not happy with deepening relationship of PM Gilani with Sharif brothers who had shown him huge respect as he emerged a peacemaker and acquired role of a sane adviser to the president to restore deposed judges.
For Zardari, the only way to get rid of Gilani, who was acquiring more powers, was to make an alliance with the PML-Q and bring someone else in his place. An unhappy President Zardari would have valid reasons to get rid of PM Gilani as he was a consensus candidate for the slot of prime minister when the PML-N and PPP had decided to form a coalition government at the Centre.
The sources said the time to punish a defiant Gilani was fast approaching and if the PML-Q and PPP managed to form a coalition in Punjab, then Gilani was first in the line of fire and would be removed as and when the PPP and PML-Q announce to form a coalition government.
Analysts, however, say this would be easier said than done. President Zardari, sources said, was bent upon taking on Sharif brothers in Punjab after his humiliating defeat on the judges front.
Thus Punjab would now become a new battleground between the two major political parties and all hopes of political stability appear to be a distant dream. Chaudhrys have also reportedly urged the president not to remove Governor Salman Taseer as they believed that without his presence in the Governor House, they would not be able to bring the members of the forward bloc back to the party fold to form the coalition government.
Thus Zardari has decided not to remove Taseer who was given a new mandate during his last meeting to go and help Chaudhrys to form government in Punjab with help of the PPP. According to game plan unfolded by Chaudhrys, first the PML-N would be given a chance to form its government in Punjab and when its leaders failed to gather required number of MPs in the House, the PML-Q would be in a comfortable position to form the government. All this would be possible after a law is passed or an ordinance issued to stop the forward bloc from voting for the PML-N.
Governor Taseer held a press conference in Lahore and made it clear that he would not accept the majority of any party which would establish its majority on the basis of a forward bloc of any other party. Sources said the press conference was just an indication that the next step would be to issue some sort of ordinance to stop “horse-trading” in Punjab.
The source said although the defection clause was very clear in the constitution, Chaudhrys were uncertain about the use of this clause on the members of the forward bloc as they believed that in the past such threats had failed to work. So the best course suggested to Zardari is that he should bring a new law to stop members of any forward bloc from exercising vote at the time of election of chief minister in Punjab.
President’s Spokesman Farhatullah Babar denied that any meeting had taken place between the president and Chaudhrys at the Presidency. He said at least there was no schedule of the meeting on the list of official engagements of the president.
He termed the issuance of an ordinance media speculation. He denied that any understanding was reached with the PML-Q to form a government at Islamabad as he believed that there was political stability and no need to disturb the present set-up.
Talking to our sources, former federal minister Dr Sher Afgan said the president could issue an ordinance and add one clause in the Representation of the People Act Chapter 9, Section 99. Afgan advocated the issuance of such an ordinance.
Federal Parliamentary Minister Dr Babar Awan, however, dismissed the issuance of any such law as he believed no one could be stopped from exercising his vote. However, Senator Tariq Azeem of PML-Q backed any such legislation to stop defection in the political parties.
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