Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is chairing a meeting of the ruling alliance today (Wednesday) before negotiations with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the Supreme Court’s directions.
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and other leaders are attending the meeting.
Attorney general for Pakistan and federal ministers are also attending the meeting. As per sources, the meeting is being briefed by the legal team on the election fund case and the negotiations with PTI.
PML-N supermo Nawaz Sharif may attend the meeting virtually
Earlier today, media had reported that there are chances of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supermo Nawaz Sharif — who is currently in Saudi Arabia — attending the meeting virtually.
PMLN sources claim that the party leadership has asked Ayaz Sadiq to contact PTI’s Asad Qaiser and both have agreed to meet today. However, PTI chief Imran Khan has clearly stated that the mandate for negotiations rests with Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Supreme Court directives cause ‘disagreement’ among ruling allies
On April 20, the top court adjourned the hearing of the petition till April 27 after the key ruling parties —PPP and PML-N — had assured the Supreme Court they would sit with the PTI on April 26 and try to find a solution on the election date. A three-member bench of the top court — headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — has sought a progress report on the talks by April 27.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stresses dialogue with PTI
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari suggested dialogue with the PTI during the last meeting of the coalition partners, but the PDM chief Fazl outright rejected the proposal. Bilawal had stressed holding dialogue with the opposition, with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan National Party, Balochistan Awami Party, Chaudhry Salik, and Mohsin Dawar backing him, sources said. Bilawal said closing the door for talks is against his party’s principles and “undemocratic”.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Jamhoori Wattan Party reject Bilawal’s opinion
The representatives of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Jamhoori Wattan Party (JWP) rejected Bilawal’s opinion and said that it isn’t in the coalition’s interests to hold talks with the deposed prime minister.
