PML-N, PPP, other parties convene APC today

ISLAMABAD: The grand alliance of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and other smaller political parties will hold all parties conference (APC) today (Thursday).

The APC will decide to field joint candidates in the National assembly.

Prior of All Parties Conference, all the parties will hold their separate meetings to finalise their strategy to take their political positions so that a joint candidates on the post of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Prime Minister against the PTI nominees on these posts could be fielded. The meeting will be held at the residence of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.

Besides finalising the joint candidates, the grand alliance of the opposition parties will also decide the mode of the protest in Parliament as well as outside Parliament.

The meeting will also work out the number game for fielding the joint candidate against the PTI in National Assembly and will decide the formula for fielding the joint candidates.

As the PPP, PML-N, MMA, ANP, National Party and PkMAP has a clear majority in the Senate and they could block any legislation of the upcoming government of the PTI so there should be grand opposition in both the houses of Parliament.

It was also decided that the grand opposition will exert pressure to form parliamentary committee to probe the rigging allegations and stolen mandate and bring out white paper against the rigging in the elections.

But at the same time the PPP and PML-N will further cooperate with each other in wheeling and dealing for the parliamentary positions as the PPP is ready to support the PML-N for Senate chairman and also lend its support for the constitutional posts of Speaker, Deputy Speaker in the National Assembly against the PTI and also support PML-N in Punjab if they supported PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as the opposition leader in the National Assembly.

Sources said the proposals between the PPP and PML-N are being discussed but so far no decision has been taken yet.

However, this proposal could be discussed at the later stage at the level of the top leadership.

Earlier in a day, senior leader of the PPP Syed Khursheed Shah in a media talk said the PTI failed to complete its number and did not get majority numbers for the formation of the government. “The number game is not in favour of the PTI and now the whole parliamentary game depends on the MQM decision to support the PTI,” he said adding that now wait what the MQM decides.

Syed Khursheed Shah said the PPP, PML-N and MMA should have to give a joint candidates against the PTI nominees for the election of the constitutional posts of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Prime Minister. “The oath of the elected members of the National Assembly is expected by August 9 or August 10 and till then we will resolve the matters to give a tough time to PTI in the National Assembly,” he said.

Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari chaired the PPP consultation meeting with the senior party leaders including former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Syed Khursheed Shah, Opposition leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman, Secretary General PPP Parliamentarians Farhatullah Babar and other PPP leaders.

Syed Khursheed Shah briefed Bilawal Bhutto Zardari about the meetings with the other parties.

While on Wednesday evening, the PPP delegation led by Syed Khursheed Shah held the meeting with the President Balochistan National Party Akhtar Mengal and discussed the ongoing political situation after the general elections and parliamentary cooperation.