Opposition parties blame PPP for presidential election rift

ISLAMABAD: Opposition parties have held the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) responsible for their failure to field a joint candidate for the upcoming election of President of Pakistan

Speaking to media persons here on Monday, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said that all-out efforts were made to name a consensus candidate for the the presidential election, but PPP did not budge.

National Party leader Hasil Bizenjo said that it wasn’t an easy option for the PML-N to vote for PPP’s nominee Aitzaz Ahsan, adding PPP’s stubbornness had dented the opposition’s unity.

Opposition parties would still try to win back the support of PPP before the elections, he said.

“We requested the PPP leadership to nominate a leader other than Aitzaz Ahsan and also offered Senate’s chairman in return for their support,” Mr Bizenjo disclosed.

He hoped that Maulana Fazlur Rehman would persuade Asif Ali Zardari to withdraw Aitzaz Ahsan from the election race.

ANP spokesman Zahid Khan said that opposition won’t be able to address the people’s issues if it did not maintain unity.