Senator Babar Awan is a top PPP leader. He is a member of the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC). He also serves as the party's treasurer. Dr. Awan is currently a member of the Pakistani Senate.


IslamOnline.net (IOL): After emerging as the biggest block in the National Assembly, what are the plans of the PPP, especially that it lacks enough majority to rule alone?

Babar Awan: We have won enough in all the five provinces. Election in Pakistan is not only limited to the national assembly. We are the only federal party because we emerged as one of the biggest parties in four provinces. In Sindh we are capable of forming government independently. In North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Balochistan we are the largest second party, and in Punjab we are capable of forming the government coalition, though we are second largest party. So in all the four provinces we can form the government. In the center we have the clear majority, and if the regime doesn't interfere and the dictator sitting in Pakistan doesn’t interfere we will be capable of making a coalition government as the one formed in India.

IOL: With whom will you be forming such coalition government?

Awan: We are negotiating with Nawaz Sharif, and we are also negotiation with ANP (Awami National Party). We are negotiating with some other democratic forces, as well, excluding the helpers of the dictator. We will form a government of national consensus because during the last eight and half years dictatorship in Pakistan has made Pakistan ungovernable. We want to bring everything to normalcy. We want to give general amnesty. We want to open a new future for the people of Pakistan. Those who are angry we want to have a dialogue with them and bring them back into the mainstream. That is only possible when there is national consensus government in the country.


IOL: How are you going to deal with Nawaz Sharif, your old rival?

Awan:Nawaz Sharif has been opposing us for a long time. But for over eight and half he has been with us in the COD, the Charter of Democracy. When he came back, though he was in a difference alliance which is the APDM (All Parties Democratic Movement), when he met martyr Benazir Bhutto, we persuaded him to go to the elections. And on our vision he accepted the proposal of participating in the elections, and he is with us in the Parliament once again.

IOL: What about President Musharraf? How are you going to cooperate with him?

Awan: I believe that General Musharraf as a gentleman should fulfill his promise. It is now up to the party to decide its policy concerning the issue. But he has said, in the past, if the people of Pakistan did not vote for my people and if they reject me and my people, I will go. Now this is the time when the people of Pakistan have given the verdict against him.


IOL: Some suggest that the opposition may work on the impeachment of Musharraf. Will you work on that, if he doesn’t resign?

Awan:As a political party we don’t presume policies. Our current policies are restoration of democracy and changing the system—the military has absolutely no place in the system, but they have a place on the borders. We want to restore the respect of the national institutions like military and all others. Therefore, this hightime for Musharraf to fulfill a commitment he made to the nation. Otherwise, history and the democratic process will take its own course.

IOL: One of the major challenges facing Pakistan is the growing militancy. What is your plan to deal with this issue?

Awan:We believe that most of militancy is created. To solve the issue we should first understand that those who are fighting are Pakistanis. They are native citizens who belong to Pakistan, and we should deal them accordingly. Secondly, we have to bring them back into the national stream; we should give them equal rights which are available to the other parts of Pakistan. And Pakistan needs its opening to the rest of the world and with all the friendly countries we will keep balanced relationships, so that the relationship with one country doesn't judge the relationship with the another country.


IOL: How do you view the relationship with the United States, which is a major ally of president Musharraf?

Awan:Individuals don’t figure and they are not important in the relationships with other countries. What is important is the country and Pakistan being stable country will follow stable policies when we form the upcoming government

IOL