Opposition heavyweights to attend APC

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has established contact with other opposition parties for their participate in an all parties conference (APC) being hosted by it on September 20, sources said on Saturday.

According to the sources, several opposition parties have formed their delegations, which would participate in the APC. They added that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will attend the event.

The sources said that a seven-member delegation of the PML-N, including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal and Ayaz Sadiq, would attend the APC.

Fazl would lead the JUI-F delegation, while Amir Haider Hoti and Mian Iftikhar would represent Awami National Party (ANP).

Among other participants Dr Abdul Malik, Senator Mir Kabir and Ayub Malik would be included in the National Party delegation, while the delegation of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan would comprise Shah Awais Noorani, Awais Hashmi and others.

On September 3, the opposition’s Rehbar Committee had finally announced that the much-delayed conference would be held at Zardari House in Islamabad on Sept 20.

The decision to hold the APC was announced by Rehbar Committee’s convener and senior leader of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) Akram Durrani at a press briefing after the committee’s meeting at his residence.

The decision was made after several meetings and behind-the-scenes contacts among top leaders of the country’s major opposition parties aimed at removing misunderstandings developed among them on certain political matters.