PPP invites Azhar to join opposition party

The ousted leader of the party ruling in the centre, Mian Mohammed Azhar, has received an invitation from opposition leader Benazir Bhutto to "join us in the struggle against the military regime."

Pakistan People's Party (PPP) central council member and former federal minister Khalid Ahmed Kharal on Thursday called on Pakistan Muslim League, Quaid-e-Azam (PML-QA) chief Azhar at the latter's residence. He conveyed Benazir Bhutto's message to Azhar and expressed solidarity with him.

"Benazir Bhutto appreciates your stance on the present situation and has directed me to meet you on her behalf and express solidarity," Kharal said.

It is learnt that Benazir conveyed to Azhar that his stance against Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali would help masses get rid of the dictator's legacy.

Kharal also conveyed Benazir's message that the right place for Azhar is the PPP, which is also the parent party of PML-QA chief.

Kharal said Azhar had always worked to uphold democracy and he was fit to continue this noble work from the PPP platform.

Azhar thanked the PPP for the moral support and said he was examining the situation. He also vowed to keep struggling for the rights of the party workers as well as for purging the Muslim League of the corrupt leaders.

Meanwhile, city Nazim Mian Amir met Chief Minister Pervez Ellahi on the invitation of the latter. Pervez discussed with him the current situation and PML-QA affairs after a no-confidence against Azhar in the party.

It is learnt that Amir has promised to make all-out efforts to bridge the gap between Azhar and the Chaudhrys. It is pertinent to mention that if Chaudhrys support the move against Azhar it would be difficult for Amir to support the ousted leader openly as he would have to maintain cordial relations with the provincial government.

So far, indications suggest that the Chaudhrys, in fact, orchestrated the move against Azhar.
Any hope that Azhar may have had of winning a vote of confidence from his party faded away after 345 out of the 375 members of the PML-QA general council signed a resolution seeking his ouster.

Azhar has, however, indicated he would soon set up a new party and he is said to be busy in consultations this with supporters and PML-QA leaders opposed to Jamali and the Chaudhry family.

It is thought that these people may opt to set up a new party, rather than create yet another faction of the PML of which at least 12 groups, many consisting no more than a handful of members, already exist.

It is also believed that Azhar is continuing efforts to re-establish contacts with the Sharif family in saudi Arabia. He has told sources that while his ties with Nawaz Sharif are "rather strained", relations with Shahbaz Sharif are "quite cordial."

Shahbaz is said already to have been approached by a Lahore-based journalist, on behalf of Azhar and informed that the ousted PML-QA chief would like to mend fences with the PML-N leadership.