Bilawal goes to Fazl’s hometown, discusses need for talks

ISLAMABAD/DERA ISMAIL KHAN: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and chief of JUIF Maulana Fazlur Rehman have discussed political dialogue with the opposition. There has been a consensus on further consultations among the parties for holding a dialogue.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari visited the native town of President PDM Fazlur Rehman in Dera Ismail Khan on Wednesday where he condoled with JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on the death of his National Assembly member Mufti Abdul Shakoor. According to sources, in the meeting between Bilawal Bhutto and Maulana Fazlur Rehman in village Abdul Khel, it was decided that after Eid-ul-Fitr, a meeting of the coalition parties would be called and final decision would be taken on the issue of dialogue.

Sources privy to the meeting said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Fazlur Rehman agreed in the meeting that that the decision to take the country out of crisis through political dialogue would be unanimous.

It may be mentioned here that a day back in a meeting of the allied parties of coalition government, which was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the JUIF opposed the possibility of holding a dialogue with the opposition, including the PTI. Bilawal insisted on negotiations with the opposition and said that dialogue was needed to take the country out of the crisis. He also offered condolences to the JUIF chief on the death of former federal minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor and offered Fateha for the departed soul.

Accompanied by federal ministers and party leaders, including Qamar Zaman Kaira, Faisal Karim Kundi, Ahmad Karim Kundi, Tehsil Chairman Paharpur Makhdoom Altaf Hussain Shah and others, the foreign minister also conveyed a special message of former president Asif Ali Zardari to the JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman.

The PDM leaders discussed the political situation in the country and talks offered by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. The leaders pledged to jointly work for strengthening democracy and parliamentary system in the country and stressed the need for holding dialogue to meet the present-day political and economic challenges and internal and external threats to the country. The two parties also reviewed the one-year performance of PDM government and discussed the projects being executed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, which they termed a game-changer.