Decision to contest Senate polls will be taken with consensus: Maryam

A day after the PPP surprised everyone with the announcement of contesting the upcoming Senate elections, PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz said that she would listen to recommendations from chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari himself, adding that the decision to take part in by-elections or Senate polls would be taken with mutual consultation.

“We don’t backtrack on the PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement] decisions made at the all-party conference (APC), but we want to send the selected and incompetent government of Imran Khan packing. If he does not resign till January 31, our deadline given to him, then we will kick him out,” Bilawal said after the party's CEC meeting on Tuesday.

Sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune that during the CEC meeting, some PPP leaders opposed the idea of tendering resignations from the Sindh Assembly and proposed a struggle inside parliament by bringing no-confidence motion against the PTI-led government.

"Bilawal himself said that his party would put forward the [CEC] recommendations before the PDM and it will consider them... I would like to listen to them from Bilawal. However, whatever the decision we take, it would be unanimous. Speculation at this point is not appropriate," Maryam said after a meeting with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief and PDM President Maulana Fazlur at his residence in Islamabad.

The PML-N leader said that the final strategy to topple the PM Imran regime would be devised during a meeting of the PDM, scheduled to be held on January 1.

Talking about her meeting with Maulana Fazlur, Maryam said that all aspects of the anti-government movement were discussed and PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif also took part via a video link on London.

'Was invited only two days before PPP's Garhi Khuda Bux rally'

Talking about his absence in the rally of PPP in Garhi Khuda Bux, Larkana, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that he was told only two days before the event, adding that Bilawal also did not attend Mardan's rally.

"I tried to change my schedule but could not take part [in the rally]," he added.

Condemning the arrest of Khawaja Asif, he said that the PML-N senior leader was being subjected to political victimisation.

Earlier this month, the JUI-F chief had declined to attend the PPP December 27 rally in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.

JUI-F senior leader Maulana Rashid Mahmood confirmed the development, saying a five-member delegation of party leaders would attend the rally in place of Maulana Fazl.