Following the rendezvous between Benazir Bhutto and Shahbaz Sharif in Dubai last week, Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) have decided to gear up efforts for a joint movement for revival of 'democracy'.
Sources in the two parties told Business Recorder here on Monday that both leaders reiterated their commitment to finalisation of a strategy, possibly before June.
Before the planned Benazir-Nawaz meeting in London, PPP and PML leaders would meet on March 21 in Dubai and on March 24 in London to discuss broad contours of the strategy, sources said.
Amin Fahim would lead the provincial heads of PPP and veterans to Dubai for the meeting. The PML central working committee will meet in London under Nawaz Sharif.
The decisions of the separate meetings would work as catalyst for future line of action of the two parties before Nawaz and Benazir meet in London, sources said.
"In principle, Ms Bhutto and Mian Shahbaz, among others things, agreed to work out a constitutional package at appropriate time to close the chapter of military take-over," a source privy to the meeting told this correspondent. A committee consisting of constitutional experts is also likely to be formed shortly for the purpose.
He added that the PPP and PML leaders held out assurances to each other on not giving in to the rulers' pressure against their struggle for restoration of democracy and revival of the Constitution.
Sources said that a proposal for returning home together of Benazir, Nawaz and Shahbaz later this year would also be discussed during the coming meetings.
In the light of the decisions of separate meetings, top leaders of the two parties will hold Alliance for Restoration of Democracy parties heads meeting in Britain. Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement leadership could also be invited to the meeting, sources added.
Meanwhile, PML (N) Secretary General Zafar Iqbal Jhagra denied reports of his party agreeing to a proposal on unification of the League factions under Shahbaz Sharif.
"I don't have any impression about such a proposal and, apparently, it is part of the government's disinformation campaign to polarise democratic forces," he said, adding that Shahbaz would never accept being head of a party getting inspiration from General Musharraf.