Nasrullah accused of manoeuvring

Pakistan Muslim League (Junejo group) president Hamid Nasir Chattha yesterday accused Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) head Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan of committing "intellectual dishonesty" and announced that he no more shares political goals and ambitions of the opposition alliance.

He also dismissed the GDA with PML and PPP in its fold as a non-starter In fact the impact would be negative on the people of Pakistan. "I am unable to understand what the PPP expects out of this alliance with the PML," he stated. Nasrullah was attacked by Chattha for allegedly not taking the alliance parties into confidence about a decision to induct, what Chattha described, as the Kulsoom group of the PML.

Addressing a news conference here, Chattha said that the decision to induct the Kulsoom group into the alliance was reached under a conspiracy when the GDA had expelled Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Tahirul Qadri's Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT). "The GDA parted ways with these parties because the Nawabzada knew from the very beginning that both these parties would resist the induction of the PML with full force."

Explaining why he was charging Nasrullah with intellectual dishonesty, Chattha said the GDA since its inception had decided to adopt issues after consensus, which was conspicuously absent in the present case.

Similarly the question of inducting new members into the alliance had to be done with unanimity. Chattha lamented that the Nawabzada did not even disclose his intentions when he (Chattha) went to inquire about his health a few days back. "Even then the Nawabzada endorsed my point of view against the PML induction in the GDA."

Chattha recalled that almost half of the GDA parties had opposed the idea of welcoming the PML when this idea was first floated. Citing his reasons for not shaking hands with the PML, he said that from day one his party along with Nasrullah and the PPP had declared Nawaz Sharif's 1997 heavy mandate a farce by not recognising the elections as free and fair.

Moreover, the initial alliance of Pakistan Awami Ittehad (PAI) was formed and expanded into GDA to mount a struggle against the Nawaz Sharif government. Therefore, it would not be acceptable at any cost for him to sit with the GDA if it decides to approve PML participation.