ISLAMABAD: In a major political development, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari along with senior party leadership Friday called on Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at his residence.
The meeting between PPP chairman and Maulana Fazlur Rehman was held to discuss the overall political situation in the country.
This was the first meeting between Bilawal and Fazlur Rehman since April 2021, when the PPP parted ways from the opposition alliance over rifts with the other parties.
During the meeting, both leaders discussed matters related to the current political situation, inflation, electronic voting machines, and other issues.
Senior PPP leaders, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani accompanied the PPP chairman to the residence of Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Sources said that senior PPP leader Khursheed Shah, recently who had been released on bail, played a key role in bringing the PDM and PPP closer. Shah held meetings with PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, PDM chief Fazlur Rehman, and the PPP leadership, advising them to shun differences to get rid of the PTI government.
Have foiled govt conspiracies owing to opposition unity in Parliament: PDM chief
The development comes amid close coordination among the opposition parties in the parliament to adopt a joint strategy against the PTI government.
During the meeting, which is being viewed as an ice-breaker between the two sides by political experts, the PDM chief and the PPP chairman expressed serious concern over the rising inflation in the country.
The PDM chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, after the meeting with Bilawal while talking to journalists, said all conspiracies by the government have been foiled owing to unity present in the opposition in the parliament.
Maulana said that the “fake government” has no right to carry out legislation, repeating opposition’s stance that this government from day one was not acceptable to them.
Responding to a question, Maulana, while referring to the past political differences with the PPP said that during the meeting all the matters were not discussed other than getting rid of the present “illegal” setup.
He added that a bill submitted in the Parliament was passed due to the opposition’s unity, stressing that it will continue to play its role in the best interest of the country. Maulana pointed out it has been a demand of the opposition from day one that it wants to hold fresh elections in the country.
On the occasion, Bilawal said that the opposition parties defeated the government at every level. He added that no talks have been held over the PPP joining the PDM. He, however, thanked Maulana Fazlur Rehman for playing a key role in uniting the opposition alliance.
Bilawal said that a joint strategy in Parliament on electronic voting machines (EVMs) and accountability laws could lead to success for the opposition and only through the Parliament could the government’s efforts to bulldoze legislation be thwarted. He further said that the recent defeats of the government in Parliament were major achievements of the opposition. He said that “We have relations with Maulana for the past three generations” adding that the relations will continue.
Responding to a question regarding a no-confidence motion against Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that the matter did not come under discussion today. “We will hold consultations on it when the time comes. I will not make any decision outside the Parliament.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
Comments
Comments are closed.