Fazl supports Nawaz Sharif's narrative

ISLAMABAD: President Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and JUI chief Fazlur Rehman has supported the narrative of former prime minister and PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif and maintained that there was no harm in taking the names of individual responsible for worsening the country’s situation.

Talking to the media here Sunday evening after an important summit meeting of the PDM, he said it was very well understood who was being addressed when the word "establishment" was used.

“This is not an issue; the media has made it an issue," he said. The third of PDM summit was also addressed by Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari, who both assured the participants that their parties would stand by the verdict of the PDM on all relevant issues.

Political sources said Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari’s participation had averted any crisis to crop up in the ranks of the 11-party alliance due to the statement of Bilawal.

"We respect the country's institutions, but if the names of politicians can be taken, then the name of someone belonging to the country's institutions can also be taken. It’s not an offence."

He said some were respectful while others were more pragmatic in this regard, while declining to entertain further questioning about it.

Fazl’s comments have come days after the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s statement that he was "shocked" when he heard PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif named the country's top military leadership for orchestrating his ouster among other things.

PML-N central leader Maryam Nawaz downplayed Bilawal's remarks and said the party had no reservations about it, as his statement was clear.

“Its misinterpretation is the need of a few people. Since the government’s boat is sinking, they are trying to create cracks in the PDM," she said on Saturday.

“In the PDM summit meeting, the country's current political situation was reviewed, and the future roadmap was deliberated upon. "It was unanimously observed that the most pressing issue was the country's current economic situation which had stripped the common man's peace of mind and made it difficult for him to survive," Fazl said.

He said the "united PDM" also talked about the schedule for future rallies.

"On November 13, the steering committee will hold a meeting where all parties will give their recommendations for a mutual agreement. On November 14, the PDM leadership will hold another meeting in Islamabad which will give a decisive outline to the recommendations put forward by the steering committee.

He said that the events surrounding and following the arrest of PML-N leader retired Captain Safdar were also discussed. The army chief had intervened after Sindh police officials had applied for leaves en-masse.

They were assured that an inquiry committee would be constituted which would present its findings in 10 days. However, three weeks have passed since then and no report has come forward, he said. The meeting also condemned recent remarks by Minister for Interior retired Brigadier Ijaz Shah in which he had allegedly warned the opposition of attacks by the Taliban.

The PDM, which has already held public meetings in Gujranwala, Karachi and Quetta, is now scheduled to hold public meetings in Peshawar on November 22, in Multan on November 30 and in Lahore on December 13.

The PDM leaders have claimed that the December 13 Lahore public meeting will be “biggest gathering” in the country’s history after which the present setup will no more be able to stand against wishes of the people of the country.

The PDM has already given the call for a long march to Islamabad in January next year to seek resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

One of the major challenges of the country is economic crisis which has made lives of masses miserable and made it difficult for them to make both ends meet, he added.

The meeting, he said, also stressed the need to decide the foreign funding case against the ruling PTI at the earliest, alleging that the case has been delayed on purpose.

“Why is the foreign funding case still pending? It clearly means there is something fishy,” Fazl said.

He said the PDM parties would have to think above the ideas and ideologies that each of them stands for.

"The most important thing is that our narrative is unanimous," Fazl observed.