Pakistan Peoples Party has refused to withdraw its candidate Senator Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan from the upcoming presidential election, it is learnt. The decision has been taken in a high-level meeting held here at Zardari House on Tuesday in the chair of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the request made by JUI-F Emir Maulana Fazlur Rahman for withdrawing Ahsan's name in his support for a consensus presidential candidate of all opposition parties.
PPP senior leaders Yousaf Raza Gillani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Aitzaz Ahsan, Syed Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Senator Sherry Rehman, Farhatullah Babar, Senator Mian Raza Rabbani and others were present in the meeting. According to the sources, the party senior leaders reviewed possible repercussions and political gains of supporting Fazlur Rehman as consensus candidate and opposed Aitzaz Ahsan's withdrawal from the race of presidential election.
According to sources, Asif Ali Zardari said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a respected figure but they had to make a "political decision." He said that PPP could not compromise on its principled politics. The PPP co-chairman also apprised the attendees of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's views, saying the party chairman had declared Ahsan as final candidate.
According to the sources, the PPP leaders noted that the party has its own manifesto and politics, and opposition parties could opt for similar stance from issues to issues. They said that the meeting decided that the PPP would fully contest by-elections in the country, fielding candidates in every constituency.
Meanwhile, a PPP delegation also met with JUI-F Emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman and informed him about the party decision. The delegation also requested Maulana to withdraw his name in the favor of Atizaz Ahsan. However, Maulana denied withdrawing his name from the presidential election. The PPP delegation comprised Raja Pervez Ashraf, Raza Rabbani, Farhatullah Babar, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Sherry Rehman.
After the meeting, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said while taking to media persons that consensus was not developed on the joint candidate of opposition for the presidential election. He hoped that consensus could be developed on a joint candidate within two days. Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said, "We informed Maulana about the party's decision on the presidential candidate." He said that Maulana should support PPP's candidate Atizaz Ahsan.
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