ISLAMABAD: The opposition parties in the National Assembly moved to forge unity among themselves to give strong opposition to the PTI government inside and outside the Parliament.
The opposition parties decided to convene a meeting of all the opposition parties to form a joint stance in parliament to give tough time to PTI government and contest the by-elections with making seat-to-seat adjustments.
Shahbaz Sharif Wednesday held a meeting with senior PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to explore the possibilities to come with a combined opposition in the NA to take a joint stance on the national issues in Parliament.
Later, in the evening, the PPP and PML-N leaders held a meeting and decided to make seat-to-seat adjustment in the by-elections and to take a joint stance in Parliament as a combined opposition and reached an agreement to support the joint candidates as under the understanding between both the parties, the PML-N would support the PPP candidates in Karachi and Sindh while the PPP would support the PML-N candidates in the Punjab.
It was decided that there would be no compromise on the chairmanship of the PAC. During the Shahbaz-Fazl meeting, it was also decided if the government denied PAC chairmanship to the opposition, they would withdraw their names from the standing committees of the NA.
Talking to newsmen after the meeting, Shahbaz Sharif said it was a routine meeting and they had a requested Maulana Fazlur Rehman to summon the opposition parties being the convener of the opposition alliance. “We have also discussed the matters relating to parliamentary committee on the allegation of rigging in the general elections,” he said. Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the nation wanted guidance from former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. “I had requested him to guide the nation,” he said. He said that he had held talks with ANP chief Asfandyar Wali and he was ready to go with the combined opposition. “I will also talk to the PPP leadership for a combined opposition,” he said
Shahbaz Sharif said the finance minister tried to create a gulf between the PPP and PML-N but failed to do so. Later taking to newsmen after the meeting, PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari said both the parties had reached an agreement that the PPP and PML-N would support the joint candidates of the opposition in the by-elections. “We are also in contact with other opposition parties for joint candidates in the by-elections,” he said.