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Pak-India Tension
Tension between the two arch rivals doesn’t seem to diffuse in coming time as governments and armies of Pakistan and India continue to threaten each other. This week Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif summoned a joint parliamentary session to discuss Indian aggression and Kashmir dispute. The joint session was held to send the message across the border that civilian government and all political parties are united on the stance over Kashmir. Leaders and representatives of all political parties were present but Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf boycotted the session due to its stance on corruption and the prime minister’s refusal to hold himself accountable after Panamagate.
An all Parties Conference (APC) was also called earlier this week by the prime minister against the ongoing Indian aggression in Held Kashmir, which was attended by PTI. The All Parties Conference (APC), held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the unprovoked Indian aggression and ceasefire violations. According to a joint communiqué released after the conference, representatives from across the political spectrum also rejected the Indian government’s claims that Kashmir was an integral part of India. The APC condemned the killing of 110 innocent Kashmiris and blinding of more than 700 people by the use of pellet guns.
Meanwhile tension at the Line of Control also escalated as India violated the ceasefire agreement and its forces resorted to unprovoked firing on different sectors. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), heavy exchange of fire took place in different sectors. Defense sources said that after the Uri sector incident, Indian forces violated the ceasefire agreement almost every day in different sectors.
Karachi Politics
After the split of Muttahida Qaumi Movement into two factions, leaders from both groups have started blaming and accusing each other. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)’s London-based leadership announced the expulsion of MQM-Pakistan leader Dr Farooq Sattar from the party. A statement released by the party’s London secretariat, announced that Dr Sattar had been expelled from the party due to ‘repeated betrayals to the party and the supreme leadership’. The statement also said that Dr Sattar was not a parliamentary leader of the MQM any longer, so all legislators were free to submit their resignations. The statement warned that disciplinary action and a social boycott would be imposed on those defying party orders.
Farooq Sattar and other senior leaders from MQM in August distanced themselves from MQM chief Altaf Hussain after an anti-Pakistan speech which was followed by an attack on the office of a private TV channel. The MQM’s London leadership rejected the minus-Altaf formula, asserting that Altaf was still the party’s uncontested chief. Not a single MQM legislator – now part of Dr Farooq Sattar-led MQM-Pakistan – has so far sent his resignation to the Senate and national or provincial assemblies.
Meanwhile the federal government not only accepted Farooq Sattar as the head and convener of MQM Pakistan but also recognised MQM Pakistan formally. According to media reports, Dr Farooq Sattar and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi on Monday attended the parliamentary leader’s conference at the prime minister’s office and were warmly welcomed by the prime minister himself. According to reports, Farooq Sattar requested that MQM Pakistan be accepted as a political and parliamentary entity. Farooq Sattar also assured the prime minister that his party would support the federal government on national issues and the Karachi operation as MQM Pakistan had nothing to do with MQM London.
Panama Leaks
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), that had held a sit-in at prime minister’s residence against corruption charges, has now asked its supporters to reach Islamabad on October 30 as part of its anti-corruption campaign. PTI Chief Imran Khan appealed to all Pakistanis to join him in Islamabad and put their effort in saving Pakistan. Calling October 30 a “defining moment” in the history of the country, Imran said that they would not move from Islamabad unless and until Nawaz Sharif resigns or presents himself for accountability. Imran – on September 30 at the party’s ‘Raiwind march’ – had asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to present himself for accountability; otherwise the PTI would bring the capital to a halt.
Meanwhile Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has also demanded the prime minister to present himself for accountability. After attending the joint session of the parliament on Kashmir on Wednesday, PPP Chairman has said that his party would come into power in 2018, whereas Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would be in jail over Panamagate. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had also raised the Panama leaks issue at the All-Parties Conference on Kashmir. The PPP chairman demanded that the government accept opposition’s bill to investigate the mega scandal.
The PPP had moved the bill in the Senate last month seeking formation of a commission to probe into the Panama leaks under the terms of reference already proposed by the opposition.
After the APC, Bilawal met Nawaz and once again raised the corruption issue and linked it to the Panama leaks. Nawaz promised that he would look into the opposition’s bill, as the government wanted a transparent investigation. Bilawal said that if the government did not agree with the opposition’s bill then his party would announce its line of action.
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