Zardari, Fazl 'agree to resolve all issues together'

Fazl tells PPP leader matter of Senate opposition leader candidate being from PML-N decided at earlier PDM meeting

ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI:

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari and Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman agreed on Wednesday to resolve all issues together.

According to Express, the PPP co-chairman held a telephonic conversation with the anti-government multi-party alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), president wherein the two leaders discussed the political situation in the country.

According to JUI-F sources, Fazl told the former president that the matter of Senate opposition leader candidate being from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was decided at an earlier meeting of the PDM. Therefore, all the PDM parties should respect the joint decision.

On March 21, it was reported that PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had made it clear that the opposition leader in Senate will be from her party as it was decided “in principle” at the PDM huddle ahead of elections for chairman and deputy chairman of the upper house.

Read Senate opposition leader will be from PML-N, insists Maryam

Addressing a news conference following a meeting with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at Jati Umra in Lahore last week, she said when the leaders of the 11-party alliance met at Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's residence, they decided to support Yousuf Raza Gilani for the Senate chairman, JUI-F's Abdul Ghafoor Haideri for deputy chairman, and a PML-N candidate for the leader of the opposition slots.

“Winning or losing [Senate chairman poll] was not discussed as a factor for any change in the decision,” she maintained, further reinforcing reports of rifts within the anti-government alliance.

The largest opposition party is reportedly considering the names of Azam Nazeer Tarar and Sadia Abbasi for the position.

The PDM appeared to be in tatters because of serious differences on the issue of en masse resignations from assemblies, that forced it to postpone the scheduled long march against the government.