APDM Convener Mehmood Khan Achakzai is opposed to any move to trigger political instability - Shame on you Qazi and Imran...

APDM awakes from slumber

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

By Mumtaz Alvi

ISLAMABAD: The All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), which is in hibernation for months now, is likely to hold a party heads’ meeting some time this week, The News learnt here on Tuesday.

“Yes, there is a growing pressure from some APDM component parties’ chiefs that either the conglomeration should be disbanded or reactivated,” a senior leader of the alliance said while talking to this correspondent.

However, at this critical juncture, but leaders such as Qazi Hussain Ahmad and Imran Khan have other ideasAPDM Convener Mehmood Khan Achakzai is opposed to any move to trigger political instability, he revealed. “Achakzai fears that if the state of affairs is pushed further towards instability, Pakistan’s future can be at stake as a state,” the movement leader maintained.

At one stage, Achakzai had to telephone Imran to avoid personal attacks on President Zardari and also requested Qazi to show restraint, whom he called his uncle, the source said.

He said that Jamaat-e-Islami chief Qazi and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan were not happy over the APDM’s silence on the key national matters -- be it the US strikes in Fata or apparently controllable price-hike despite a massive plunge in the POL prices.

The movement had its previous meeting in Islamabad more than three months back, which had ended at giving a strike call on September 1 for the reinstatement of sacked judges. However, the decision to observe shutter down strike was reversed, a few days before the August 31 deadline.

On their part, Qazi and Imran have been active in the media throughout and even held some programmes against the government. Qazi recently had a train march against the ongoing military operation in the tribal areas, while Imran led a few rallies -- one against the election of Asif Ali Zardari and the other major show was to agitate the US strikes in In the wake of growing anxiety in the ranks and files of the APDM, a meeting is being organised shortly, most probably in Islamabad, to review the prevailing national scene. (The News)