Fazl, Maryam hold phone talk, meeting today

LAHORE/ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Central Vice President Maryam Nawaz held a telephonic conversation on Saturday and discussed overall political situation in the country.

PML-N sources said the Maulana would visit Maryam at her Jati Umra residence in Raiwind on Sunday (today). The two leaders would discuss the message given by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Asif Ali Zardari about resignations from assemblies and the future strategy of the opposition alliance, added the sources. The PDM’s future course of action against the government would be determined in the meeting.

PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif would also attend the Jati Umra meeting through video link, sources told The News here on Saturday. The Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz and some other stalwarts will also attend the meeting.

The question of shaping the movement against the government would be a major subject of discussions, while the PPP’s disapproval of submitting resignations from the assemblies and the long march will also figure prominently in it. The Maulana who has already spoken extensively to Nawaz Sharif and PPP Supremo Asif Ali Zardari separately early this week, would take the PML-N leaders into confidence over the content of his communication with the PPP stalwart.

The sources pointed out that the major question in today’s discussion would be about holding the long march with or without resignations. The meeting will also take up other proposals for putting pressure on the government like the wheel-jam strike or unending countrywide strikes, the sources hinted.

Following the discussions at the residence of Maryam Nawaz Sharif, sources said there is a possibility of also contacting PPP Co-Chiarman Asif Ali Zardari there.

The PPP has already given its mind to review its decision of resignations, in its CEC meeting scheduled for April 4 in Rawalpindi. The sources said the issues of appointment of the leader of opposition in the Senate and the candidate to contest the NA-249 Karachi by poll could also be discussed. It was agreed in last month’s meeting that the slot of the Chairman Senate will go to the PPP senators, while the deputy chairman will be from the JUI-F and subsequently leader of opposition in Senate will be from the PML-N. Likewise, the PDM will contest all bye elections jointly.

Incidentally, the PPP is backtracking from its commitment on conceding Senate’s leader of opposition to the PML-N candidate. The PPP is also reluctant to field a joint candidate in NA-249 Karachi where the PML-N has nominated its former federal minister for finance Miftah Ismail.