Govt musters four parties’ support for national causes: PM briefed

ISLAMABAD: Four mainstream political parties have assured the government that they would resist any threat to parliamentary democratic order and supremacy of the constitution since any adventure could inflict irreparable loss to the integrity of the country.

The three-member special committee, headed by Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Affairs Professor Irfan Siddiquee had meetings with the leadership of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiatul Ulmai Islam (JUI) of Maulana Fazalur Rehman, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) of Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and Awami National Party (ANP) in the light of mandate given to it by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Federal ministers Professor Ahsan Iqbal and Khawaja Saad Rafiq are the other two members of Professor Siddiquee’s committee. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been briefed about the initial and encouraging response of the political parties in question to the three member committee.

The committee will continue to establish contact with other political parties and groups in the wake of upcoming developments in the political arena. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has yet to take ultimate decision about siding with the division on the national horizon but the government’s confidants have furnished contacts with the MQM also to muster its support for the national causes.

Interestingly, the favourable reaction of the government pertaining to the arrest of Altaf Hussain in London recently has evoked tremendous goodwill between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the MQM. Highly placed sources in the government told The News here on Sunday evening that the whirlwind visit of Allama Tahirul Qadri to Pakistan next week is part of the intrigue to destabilise the country and for the reason political and democratic forces have decided to forge unity in their ranks to frustrate any attempt to uproot the democratic order in the country. The administration has knitted a net to nab Allama Tahirul Qadri who is Canadian national and involved heinous offences, including fiscal crimes and several irregularities.

His close family members are also partner in the crimes. The federal agencies, including FIA, Intelligence Bureau (IB) and FBR, are hectically engaged in compiling documentary evidence into the offences reportedly committed by Qadri and his family members. The government is also examining to institute cases against Allama Tahirul Qadri for inciting violence, instigating people against the constitution and lawfully in-place government, attempting to dislodge constitutional order in the country and preaching violence. It could pave the way for registration of criminal case against him under Article 124 (A) Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). Tahirul Qadri could be another case resembling Pervez Musharraf, who could come to Pakistan with big bang, but stranded here due to the cases awaited for him. Pervez Musharraf is trying hard to leave the country but facing enormous difficulties, the sources pointed out.

The sources reminded that Allama Qadri will have to face different sort of administration this time when he will be landing Pakistan in a couple of days since the present government wouldn’t tolerate daring by him to the institutions created by the people and irresponsible rhetoric by him. The government wouldn’t hesitate in nabbing the Canadian national after gathering solid evidence about his crimes.

The Canadian and British High Commissions would also be taken in loop about the offices under money laundering that have been committed on the soil of Pakistan, but the properties were procured in Canada and the United Kingdom with the black money whitened in the two countries. He has huge property in the United Kingdom besides Canada and some other European countries.

The government is confident that no mainstream political party or group would join hands with the Allam, and once the government decided to lay hand on him, he wouldn’t be able to solicit support from any influential quarter, the sources added.