| Submit your comments on this article |
| India-Pakistan |
| 25 PPP lawmakers allied with SSP in 2008 polls |
| 2010-07-06 |
| In a fresh spat of counter-allegations for having political alliances with militant organisations, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Monday alleged that 25 parliamentarians of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) negotiated with the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP) to gather votes during the 2008 general elections. Levelling the charges during a press conference at the party's office, PML-N spokesman Siddiqul Farooq claimed, "Twenty-five PPP parliamentarians, including the foreign minister, information minister, and the National Assembly deputy speaker, made their way to the House with the political support and vote bank of the banned militant outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba. The negotiations with the banned organisation were held by the PPP leadership with a nod from President Asif Zardari." After winning the elections, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Jamshed Dasti separately visited SSP General Secretary Dr Khadim Hussain Dhillon to thank him for the support extended by his organisation. According to the list provided by the PML-N, 16 of the 25 accused PPP MNAs belong to the Punjab. Distanced: However, PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal distanced himself from Farooq's allegations, terming them "his personal views" and added that it was not the party's official stance. "I don't believe the SSP has such a significant vote bank that mainstream political parties seek their support to win elections," the PML-N information secretary told Daily Times. However, when contacted again by this scribe, Farooq insisted that it was not his personal opinion but the party's official stance. |
| Posted by:Fred |