Pakistan People's Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari met Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman on Saturday at latter's residence to mull over the strategy of upcoming anti-government movement. The two political leaders mutually decided to deliberate on the road-map of anti-government march towards Islamabad after Eid.
In this regard, both the politicians agreed to present an effective agenda in front of public in order to seek their support for the protest.
During the meeting, Zardari and Fazl also decided to approach all political parties and unite them against the government.
NAVEED BUTT & ALI HUSSAIN from Islamabad add: The leadership of the opposition political parties will meet today (Sunday) at an Iftar to forge a joint strategy against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government after Eid. This is a fresh effort initiated by Pakistan People's Party (PPP) whose previous attempts to forge a grand opposition alliance were not successful.
The host of the Iftar is PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari at Zardari House, Islamabad.
According to the party's secretary-general Farhatullah Babar, Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari will also be present at the Iftar dinner, for which Bilawal has extended invitations to various opposition leaders.
Babar revealed that prominent among those invited who have accepted the invitations, are PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan, PKMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, BNP (Mengal) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq, Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and JUI (Noorani) chief Owais Shah Noorani.
He said that the PPP has already announced the launch of a protest in and outside parliament after the Eid and the party would invite other opposition political parties to join the initiative.
About the agenda of the meeting, another PPP leader told Business Recorder on condition of anonymity that the party leadership will invite the opposition parties' leadership to launch a united anti-government movement.
He said that a massive joint anti-government drive has become inevitable as the PTI government has failed to deliver and the economic situation of the country is deteriorating with each passing day.
"Rising inflation, depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar, raise in the prices of petroleum and products, electricity and gas and other commodities has pushed hundreds of thousands below the poverty line. Particularly hard hit are the already vulnerable. This is the time to show solidarity with the people," he said.
According to PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb, the party's delegation to the Iftar would include Maryam Nawaz, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Hamza Shahbaz and other senior leaders.
About a possible anti-government drive, she said that PML-N has also convened its meeting of federal, provincial and district leaderships in Islamabad on Monday, and under discussion would be the party's line of action in the light of discussions held with other opposition political parties at the Iftar dinner.
She said that the meeting would also discuss the prevailing political situation in the country as well as the economic crisis including the continued rupee depreciation against the US dollar.
Another senior PML-N leader Pervez Rashid said that the party workers want the PML-N to launch an effective anti-government movement, adding that Monday's meeting would come up with a strategy keeping in view the wishes of party workers and the common man.
He said that PML-N jailed Quaid Nawaz Sharif has asked the party leaders to consider the sentiments of the party workers who want an effective movement against the PTI government.
"The political parties are supposed to represent the sentiments of the people and if they fail to take the initiative, then the people will themselves take to the streets", he added.
This is a fresh attempt taken by the PPP to bring all the opposition political parties on a single platform after a series of previous attempts made by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman failed to get any support from the two major opposition parties -PPP and PML-N.
Talking to Business Recorder, JUI-F spokesperson Mufti Mohammad Ibrar said that the Maulana will participate in the Iftar dinner. He said that a decision about launching a movement from a single platform will be taken after consultation within the party.