Opp parties all set to hold APC next week

ISLAMABAD: The major opposition parties; Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and PPP have reconciled their consensus narrative for paving the way of holding all parties conference (APC) and it will be held in Islamabad early next week.

The Steering (Rahbar) Committee of the opposition parties will have its significant meeting to draw agenda for the conference tomorrow (Thursday) at the residence of JUI-Fazl stalwart and opposition leader in the KP Assembly Akram Khan Durrani, who is also heading the committee.

Well-placed political sources told The News here Tuesday that leader of opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif who will be in Karachi today (Wednesday) to review the devastation caused by rain in the metropolitan, will be meeting the PPP leaders including Asif Ali Zardari during his stay in the city. He will also convey message of his PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif pertaining to the obtaining political situation in the country while meeting the bed-ridden PPP elder and former president of the country.

The PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah will also be present on the occasion. Former speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will accompany his party president in the meeting. The PPP parliamentary group leader in National Assembly former federal minister Syed Naveed Qamar who has gone to London, has been asked to return forthwith since political developments are taking place back in the country at the rapid pace.

The sources pointed out that JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is now satisfied about the conduct of the major opposition parties, who had reservations about their role towards the adoption of the so-called financial action task force (FATF) specific legislation in the two houses of Parliament. The differences proved to be blessing in disguise for the opposition as ten regional and comparatively smaller parties have also become the part of the united opposition, the sources reminded.

The steering committee of the opposition has been mandated to take elementary decisions about the APC and its future course of action. The committee will decide about the nomenclature of the alliance and determine course of action including launching of campaign against the government which could lead to a long march towards Islamabad afresh.

The alliance of the opposition would be led by the collective leadership of the parties constituting it, the sources said. The en-masse resignations from the assemblies could also be considered but not on the priority. In-house change could also be on table proposals that was previously mooted by the PPP.

In the meanwhile, government has decided to summon the National Assembly for tomorrow (Thursday) where the motion will be passed for referring the two FATF specific bills for the joint sitting of the two houses of the Parliament. The joint sitting would be convened on the following day. The two bills one was Anti-Money Laundering (Second Amendment) Bill, 2020 while the other was Islamabad Capital Territory Waqf Properties Bill, 2020. Both the bills were rejected by the Upper House of Parliament; Senate in a controversial fashion.