Inside story of PDM meeting revealed

According to sources that revealed the inside story of the crucial PDM gathering, the overall atmosphere of the meeting became very tense after following the comments of former President Asif Ali Zardari related to former premier Nawaz Sharif.

While Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman was criticizing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo for not returning to Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif's facial expressions kept changing. On one occasion, when Nawaz Sharif tried to leave the conversation via the link, Ishaq Dar stopped him by holding his hand.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also left the meeting on one occasion and spoke to her father during the break of Maghrib prayers, while Maulana Fazlur Rehman kept asking Zardari to change his stance on resignations.

When Zardari categorically refused to move back from his stance over resignations, Maulana threatened to resign from the leadership of PDM.

“The alliance cannot last long if things continue to go like this,” JUI-F Chief said.

Sources said that PML-N raised an objection in the meeting on whether Asif Zardari did everything according to a plan.

Fazlur Rehman also looked angry with Asif and said that he was disappointed with his speech and stance.

It is said that just before the meeting concluded, bitter words were exchanged between PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Bilawal asked Maulana if he wanted to keep PPP a part of PDM, to which JUI-F Chief asked him to make the decision himself.

Some PPP leaders were also upset over the exchange of harsh words in the proceedings of the PDM meeting.

Background

In a crucial PDM meeting yesterday, former President Asif Ali Zardari demanded Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif come back to Pakistan and face the hurdles along with the other opposition parties leaders.

“If Nawaz Sharif is ready for war, be it a long march or a matter of no-confidence, he will have to return home. Leaving the assemblies is tantamount to strengthening Imran Khan. We have to not fight with the government in the mountains but parliament.”

Further, naming former PM Sharif, he said that “if we have to fight then Mian Sab please come back Pakistan, we will all have to go to jail. When Shaheed Bibi came home in 1986 and 2007, we mobilized the whole country.”

While questioning Nawaz Sharif he said, “Mian Sahib, how will you solve public problems? You even did not increase salaries in your government whereas PPP did.”

“I am ready for war but maybe my domicile is different. You represent Punjab and I gave power to the parliament,” he added.

"PPP had passed the 18th Amendment and the NFC award was started in our era and we are punished for giving the powers to parliament," the former president said.

Following the meeting, PDM decided to reschedule the long-march which was earlier planned to kick-start on March 26 from Karachi.