Kh Asif under attack for casting doubts on Fahim
Abrar Saeed
ISLAMABAD - Key negotiator of PML(N) leader Kh Asif came under severe criticism for his irresponsible statement casting doubts on the credibility of PPP central leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim, in the senior party leaders meeting held under the chair of Party Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif here at Frontier House to discuss the overall political situation in the country in the backdrop of the ongoing negotiations for the formation of the government with coalition partners.
The sources privy to the deliberations of the meeting which was attended by the senior party leaders including Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Raja Zafarul Haq, Makhdoom Javid Hashmi, Ch Nisar Ali Khan, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, Kh Asif, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Imdad Chandio, Ehsan Iqbal and others discussed all the issues threadbare and Mian Nawaz Sharif briefed the party leadership about the details of his meeting with Asif Ali Zardari in Murree.
He also informed the meeting about the power sharing formula with the coalition partners both in Centre and Punjab and informed that in the first phase the Federal Cabinet would take 12 to 15 ministers and the share to the coalition partners would be given to them on the basis of their strength in the Lower House.
Mian Nawaz Sharif directed the party leaders to avoid giving controversial and provocative statements against the leaders of the coalition partners when the issue of Kh Asifs statement about the PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim came up in the meeting which had triggered a new controversy and developed a bad taste if not some serious blow to the strength of the coalition between the two parties.
The sources informed that soon after the meeting Kh Asif and Makhdoom Javid Hashmi entered into a verbal brawl at the lunch table and both the leaders hurled abuses at each other and they were about to enter into a fistfight when the senior party leaders intervened and separated them.
Mian Nawaz Sharif took Makhdoom Javid Hashmi with him in his room while Ch Nisar Ali Khan took Kh Asif along with him to the other side.
Reportedly Makhdoom Javid Hashmi blamed that it was Kh Asif who abused him first which triggered trading of ****** abuses between the two.
Reportedly Kh Asif was annoyed over the statement given to media by Makhdoom Javid Hashmi wherein he had admonished Kh Asif for doubting the credibility of Makhdoom Amin Fahim.
Later when again Kh Asif came under severe criticism in the party meeting over the issue he lost his temper and entered into a clash with Makhdoom from Multan at the lunch table.
Meanwhile, Secretary Information of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Ahsan Iqbal said that the right of nominating a candidate for the slot of PM was given to the Pakistan Peoples Party and his Party had no objection to the nomination of anyone including Amin Fahim for the office of the Premier.
Talking to media persons after attending the consultative meeting of the Party held here at Frontier House on Wednesday under the chairmanship of PML(N) Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif, he said that the Pakistan Peoples Party had the right to nominate anyone for the PM slot and added that maybe he is Makhdoom Amin Fahim.
Referring to the Murree Declaration, he however said that the future PM should have the abilities to implement the common agenda of both the Parties.
If PPP nominates Makhdoom Amin Fahim for the PM slot, the PML (N) will have no objection, he said.
To a question he said that the share in the government would be according to the Parties strength in the National Assembly.
President of PML(N) Shahbaz Sharif, Chairman Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, Secretary General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Ahsan Iqbal, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Haneef Abasi, Raja Muhammad Afzal and newly elected Members of National and Provincial Assemblies from Rawalpindi participated in the meeting.
Secretary Information of PML (N) warned that denying supremacy to Parliament would be detrimental to the whole system and a serious clash would emerge between the Presidency and Parliament for which the former would be responsible.
He said that without the validation of the acts of President Musharraf by Parliament the same stood illegal and void despite having the verdict of Supreme Court of Pakistan in his favour.
He further said that even in the past the acts of dictators having the apex court cover were brought before Parliament for validation.
He said that PML(N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif had taken into confidence all the Party leaders regarding the decisions taken in Murree and there was no confusion on the subject within the Party ranks.
He said that all political leaders welcomed the declaration of 9th March and described it as a new chapter in the history of democracy.
He said that it had happened for the first time in the history of Pakistan that two major Parties agreed on the vital issues such as constitutional amendments, democracy and restoration of judges.
He said that the meeting of the parliamentary committee would be held on March 17, at 10 am in the committee room of the National Assembly ahead of the inaugural session of the National Assembly.
He said that it had been discussed in the meeting that the formation of the government would be arranged through dialogue and names of the Federal Cabinet Members would be announced in the next couple of days.
The Nation