LAHORE: As Prime Minister Imran Khan landed in Moscow to help expand energy cooperation between Russia and Pakistan, the leaders of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) decided to move along and take joint decisions.
The development comes after Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi visited Bilawal House here and held final round with PPP chief Asif Zardari.
Per sources, the PPP and PML-Q have decided to evolve joint strategy for the future and both the parties decided to go along together in future.
Earlier in the day, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman visited the residence of crucial government ally PML-Q and tried to remove their reservations about Sharif brothers and the Zardaris.
PDM chief Maulana Fazl and Asif Zardari also visited the residence of Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif who hosted a lunch at his residence for the two.
At the feast, the trio discussed the current political situation and the no-confidence motion against the incumbent PTI government.
Sources privy to the matter said PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Ahsan Iqbal, Marrium Aurangzeb and Rana Sanaullah were also present at the lunch.
Tabling a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and holding talks with the PTI-led government’s allies were discussed in the Opposition’s latest meeting.
The development came during a meeting of three big Opposition parties — PPP, PML-N, and JUI-F — at the residence of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif.
Another matter that came under discussion was the anti-government long march, sources told the media outlet, as the Opposition considers options of ousting the incumbent regime.
Following the luncheon at Shahbaz’s residence, PDM and JUI-F chief Fazl visited the house of crucial government allies in Punjab and the Centre: the Chaudhry brothers.
Sources stated that the country’s current political situation came under discussion during the moot — which was Fazl’s second meeting with the PML-Q’s Chaudhry brothers in a few days.
Prior to the trilateral meeting, Maulana Fazl took Shehbaz Sharif into confidence over his recent discussion with Zardari on the long march.
Sources further stated that the Opposition parties’ coalition favours immediate elections but the ruling PTI’s allies are not in favour of immediate elections.
However, the sources said, since the coalition seeks support of government’s allies for bringing a no-trust motion against the government, Zardari tried to persuade the Opposition parties’ leaders to show flexibility on the matter of delayed elections.
The sources say that the PDM decided to join hands with the PPP to support it’s long march towards Islamabad against the PTI-led government.
PDM — the alliance of eight opposition parties — of which PML-N and JUI-F are the major component, have decided to welcome the long march of the PPP.
PML-N will welcome the convoys in Punjab while the JUI-F will do so in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the sources added.
The development comes a day after a meeting took place between Fazl and PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari. During the meeting, different options were discussed for the success of the no-trust move against the prime minister, while the two leaders had also agreed to take estranged PTI leaders into confidence, sources had said.
It has been decided that the activists of component parties of the PDM will welcome the participants of the long march in each city across the country. The opposition leaders will deliver their speeches while standing on top of containers, sources said, adding that no stage will be set up in any city during the march.
Upon arrival in Islamabad, there will be a mass public meeting during which the date for the no-trust motion is likely to be announced.
Neither the long march will enter the Red Zone nor the PPP will stage a sit-in in Islamabad, the sources said.
Sources said that Fazl and PML-Q’s senior leadership had agreed to meet during a telephonic conversation a few days ago.
The PDM chief, who is also the president of JUI-F, has met PTI ally, PML-Q, in Lahore once before.
Sources said that Fazl, during the meeting with the Chaudhry brothers, asked them to support the Opposition in its no-confidence motion against the government.
