Unanimously rejecting the results of the July 25 general election, the four major political parties including PML-N, PPP, MMA and ANP Monday agreed on pursuing a 'joint parliamentary strategy' against the "historically rigged" elections in and outside the Parliament through a single platform.
With the announcement to up the ante on Imran Khan-led PTI in and outside the Parliament, the efforts launched by Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal to boycott the Parliament also came to a halt.
The development came following a joint meeting of all these parties held at the residence of Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq in which the parties also deliberated upon the numerical strength of the likeminded parties for a possible move to show majority in center and Punjab against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf despite the latter claimed to have managed its numbers to form the government in Punjab.
From Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the meeting was attended by party President Shahbaz Sharif, Ayaz Sadiq, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Abdul Qadir Baloch and others, Pakistan People's Party's delegation included Yusuf Raza Gilani, Naveeq Qamar, Sherry Rehman, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira and others, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal was represented by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and Awami National Party was represented by Ghulam Ahmed Bilour and Mian Iftikhar Hussain.
"All the four parties unanimously reject and condemn the historically rigged elections and declare that it has never been held in the history," Yousuf Raza Gilani told reporters after the meeting, adding that an All Parties Conference (APC) will soon be convened to devise future joint strategy with all the political parties that are protesting against the alleged rigging in the polls.
He said that the meeting also resolved to pursue a "joint parliamentary strategy" in and outside the Parliament against the alleged massive rigging in the polls. "The meeting also strongly condemned the interference of undemocratic forces in the elections as well as the self-censorship imposed on media," Gilani flanked by leaders of all the fours parties said.
He said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman would contact other political parties such as Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), National Party (NP), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and others to come under a single umbrella for pursuing the joint strategy.
To a question whether the parties also held deliberations to form governments in the center and Punjab, Gilani said that they also discussed the number-game, adding that the assessment is being made and once the situation gets clear, it will be announced.
Sources said that JUI-F chief Mualana Fazlur Rehman presented a proposal to launch efforts with all the political parties for showing a majority in the National Assembly as well as in Punjab provincial assembly. They said that the meeting discussed that all the likeminded parties have a total of 120 members against PTI's 115 seats in the National Assembly. They also discussed efforts to seek support of the independents for showing majority against PTI's move to form the government, he added.
"When PTI is not recognizing PML-N's clear mandate in Punjab assembly then why we should accept its mandate in the National Assembly," the Maulana was quoted by the sources to have asked the meeting.
The sources also claimed that in case of support in Punjab, the PPP sought the slot of leader of the opposition in National Assembly. However, PPP's Naveed Qamar and PML-N's Khawaja Saad Rafiq while talking to this correspondent separately denied that any such proposal came under discussion during the meeting.
PML-N's Raja Zafarul Haq told reporters that it is the constitutional responsibility of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct free, fair and transparent elections, adding, "It has remained ineffective in conducting transparent elections and in controlling the large-scale riggings in the polls."
"That's why we also demand that the Election Commission of Pakistan should quit for its complete failure to ensure free, fair and transparent polls in the country," he said.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman was of the opinion that it was for the first time in the country's history that almost all political parties have similar views on credibility of the elections. "The entire world, the nation and the establishment should note that it is for the first time that most of the parties have rejected results of the elections...those forces who plundered mandate of the people should be ashamed of themselves," he added.
He said all parties are deliberating on a joint strategy to reach a consensus regarding a future course of action. "We have unanimously rejected the election results. Now, we want to adopt a unanimous approach for a future course of action," he said, adding that international observers have also expressed concerns over the alleged riggings in the polls.
The Maulana said that protests are being held in many parts of the country against the alleged riggings in the polls, but media is not giving any coverage due to "censorship" on it.
ANP leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour said: "It is unfortunate that the establishment brought a bad name not only to the institution but also to the country through its interference in the elections."