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War of words in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The ruling Pakistan People’s Party and the opposition Pakistan Muslim League (N) raised the pitch of their battle cry against each other even as other political parties offered to make efforts for reconciliation between the two.

But while individual PPP leaders say the door is still open for dialogue with the Sharif brothers of the PML(N) to find a way out of their disqualification from elections by the Supreme Court, the fallout of the decision has started playing itself out on the streets with cadre of both parties clashing violently in many places.

“Nothing has changed since the elections in February 2008 in this country. This government is following all of [former President Pervez] Musharraf’s policies, including his foreign policy, his economic policies. Mr. [Asif Ali] Zardari has embraced the judiciary appointed by Musharraf. I feel that Musharraf’s ghost has entered Mr. Zardari,” said Nawaz Sharif on Monday at a public meeting in Narowal, in Punjab province.

Mr. Sharif said the PPP would not be able to fulfil its dream of forming a government in the Punjab province and when Governor’s rule ended two months from now, it would have to pay a heavy price.

The PPP was not to be left behind in the war of words. Nabeel Gabol, a prominent PPP leader, told Geo Television the Sharifs had influenced the judges to give a verdict adverse to themselves in the disqualification towards creating political unrest.

In Lahore, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, one of the main actors in the political battle, fired a salvo against Shahbaz Sharif, who stepped down as Chief Minister after his disqualification, saying he had spent Rs. 80 million on “personal expenses”.

The rising political temperatures in Pakistan have caused alarm across the world and diplomatic efforts are on for a patch up between the Sharifs and Mr. Zardari. British High Commissioner Robert Brinkley, who met Mr. Nawaz Sharif on Saturday, called on Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Monday. A government press release said they discussed the political situation.

Meanwhile, the Awami National Party and the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islami have also offered to mediate between the Sharifs and Mr. Zardari.

The PPP too appears to have made some moves to make peace with the PML(N) through a meeting between PPP Chief Minister of Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani and Mr. Shahbaz Sharif, but there was no immediate outcome.

Information Minister Sherry Rehman said the effort showed the PPP did not believe in confrontational politics.

But the spirit of reconciliation was nowhere in sight when cadre of the PPP and PML(N) clashed violently on the streets of Quetta in Balochistan and also massed menacingly in front of the Punjab Assembly in Lahore.

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