PML-N, PPP reach understanding on census before CCI meeting

LAHORE: The PML-N and PPP had reached a broader understanding regarding a conditional agreement on the census, a night before the CCI meeting on Monday, ‘The News’ has learnt. According to sources, the central leadership of both parties was in contact regarding the concerns over the census. Senior PPP leader Naveed Qamar contacted Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on the phone.

During the telephonic conversation, he told the Ayaz that the PPP was willing to support the PML-N’s amendment regarding acceptance of provisional results of the census, if the chief concerns of PPP were addressed. These were then shared with the PML-N top brass. While recollecting population data of one per cent of census blocks had been a demand since the PPP started disputing the fresh census, there were two other matters of concerns shared by Naveed with the PML-N central leader, the sources said.

When contacted, another PPP leader Saleem Mandviwala said his party had been communicating its concerns ever since the consensus and the same could have been done by Naveed. “The matters, however, are not that simple,” he said.

“Even if the parties agree to pass the amendment regarding accepting the provisional results, it is a constitutionally binding to hold the elections based on the most recent census in case the final results are announced before the polls; therefore, the entire exercise would be futile,” he said.

He was of the view that to make this amendment effective, the Parliament would need to add a prong which mentioned that in such an event that it would not be binding for this particular election.