LAHORE:
Joint Opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman visited the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, who is hosting a lunch at his residence, Daily Jang reported. Shahbaz had invited Fazl along with PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to the feast, to discuss the current political situation and the no-confidence motion against the incumbent PTI government.
Sources privy to the matter said PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Ahsan Iqbal, Marrium Aurangzeb, and Rana Sanaullah are also attending the lunch. During the meeting between Shehbaz and Fazl, the former took the latter into confidence over his recent discussion with Zardari on joining his party in the long march.
Sources further stated that the Opposition parties’ coalition favors immediate elections but the ruling PTI’s allies are not in its favor. However, since the coalition seeks support of the government’s allies for bringing a no-trust motion against the government, Zardari would try to persuade the Opposition parties’ leaders to show flexibility on the matter of elections.
Fazl likely to call on PML-Q leaders again: sources
Meanwhile, Fazl is expected to contact the PML-Q leadership once again after his meeting with Shahbaz, well-informed sources said.
Sources privy to the matter said that Fazl would visit the Chaudhry brothers’ residence, Zahoor Elahi Palace, Gulberg, to discuss the current political situation and no-confidence motion against the ruling PTI today.
They said that PML-Q MNAs Chaudhry Salik Hussain, MNA Hussain Elahi, and Shafay Hussain would also be present on the occasion.
Sources said that Fazl and PML-Q’s senior leadership agreed to meet during a telephonic conversation a few days ago.
The PDM chief, who is also the president of JUI-F, has met PTI ally, PML-Q, in Lahore once before.
Sources said that Fazl, during the meeting with the Chaudhry brothers, asked them to support the Opposition in its no-confidence motion against the government.
PDM decides to join hands with PPP for long march: sources
Meanwhile, PDM decided to join hands with the PPP to support the party’s long march towards Islamabad against the PTI-led government, sources privy to the matter told Geo News. PDM — the alliance of eight opposition parties — of which PML-N and JUI-F are the major ones, have decided to welcome the convoys of the long march.
PML-N will welcome the convoys in Punjab while the JUI-F will do so in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sources added.
The development comes a day after a meeting took place between Fazl and PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari. During the meeting, different options were discussed for the success of the no-trust move against the prime minister, while the two leaders had also agreed to take estranged PTI leaders into confidence, sources had said.
It has been decided that the activists of component parties of the PDM will welcome the participants of the long march in each city across the country. The opposition leaders will deliver their speeches while standing on top of containers, sources said, adding that no stage will be set up in any city during the march.
Upon arrival in Islamabad, there will be a mass public meeting during which the date for the no-trust motion is likely to be announced.
Neither the long march will enter the Red Zone nor the PPP will stage a sit-in in Islamabad, sources said.
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