PM says PDM unity frustrated opposition

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday lauded the efforts of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Army Chief General Asim Munir for success in getting deposits by friendly countries for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

Addressing a meeting of coalition partners here, Shehbaz said the International Monetary Fund’s agreement was in the final phase and their last condition was to ensure financial pledges from friendly countries. He praised the efforts of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Army Chief General Asim Munir for the success of the process. On completing one year of the coalition government, the prime minister said that even the allied partners were not hopeful of making the achievement and showing unity. He said that out of sincerity and commitment to the country, the coalition parties have shown unprecedented unity throughout the first year of their government to the frustration of opposition parties.

“All the allied parties manifested their democratic spirit and played a constructive role to maintain unity and to steer the country out of the challenges,” he said. He said despite time-to-time differences on certain matters, the allied parties remained united to face the challenges inherited from the previous government. In a democracy, decisions were made through consultation and were not imposed, he stressed. Following the comments of the prime minister, the leaders of coalition parties thanked him and reposed their confidence in his leadership.

Talking about the ongoing controversy regarding the court verdict on general elections in Punjab, Shehbaz said nowhere in the world has a court granted a stay on implementing a law even before its promulgation.

The decision of the three-member bench even prompted the bar councils to raise their voice – for sake of the rule of law, not out of love for the government – as they also believed that the decision was contrary to the norms of the justice, he added.

He said the coalition parties were striving wholeheartedly to overcome the challenges despite all odds. The prime minister reiterated the coalition government’s resolve to overcome the challenges it had taken up for the sake of the country’s progress and for bringing it out of the economic crisis.

Shehbaz also told the participants of his upcoming telephonic conversation with new Chinese Premier Li Qiang during the last week of April when they would discuss the matters of mutual interest.

Meanwhile, in the meeting of the allied parties of the coalition government, despite strong opposition from the JUIF, Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari insisted on holding negotiations with the opposition and said it was required to take the path of dialogue to end the crisis.

The coalition partners — an alliance of 13 political parties in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — met in Islamabad after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif convened a meeting on the country’s political situation and the JI’s negotiation efforts.

During the meeting, a disagreement took place among the parties in the coalition government over holding talks with the opposition party; some believed that PTI Chairman Imran Khan could not be trusted, while others insisted that political forces should not shut channels for negotiations.

Sources privy to the meeting told The News that Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari insisted that dialogue was needed. Sources said MQM-Pakistan, BNP, Khalid Magsi, Chaudhry Salik, Mohsin Dawar and others supported Bilawal’s position.

According to sources, the JUIF stressed that Imran Khan was not a political force and strongly opposed a dialogue with PTI. On the other hand, JWP chief Shahzain Bugti said they were not against the dialogue, but Imran Khan was not trustworthy, sources said.

According to sources, the PPP expressed serious reservations about the JUIF’s stance of opposing the national dialogue.

Bilawal said closing the door for talks was against his party’s principles and undemocratic. Against this backdrop, the meeting of government allies ended without any consensus on holding a dialogue.