Fazl, Zardari may discuss no-trust move today

Sources say JUI-F chief will also host dinner in honour of PPP co-chairperson

ISLAMABAD:

With the opposition’s campaign to oust the PTI-led government through a no-confidence motion in parliament gaining momentum, former president and PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari is scheduled to meet JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who also heads the multi-party alliance the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), at the residence of the latter on Monday (today), sources told The Express Tribune.

They added that the JUI-F chief would also host a dinner in honour of the PPP co-chairperson.
The two leaders are expected to discuss the no-trust move as well as the strategy for the opposition parties reaching out to the government’s allies for this purpose. The PPP, which was once part of the PDM, had parted ways with the alliance last year after serious differences emerged over the issue of mass resignations of lawmakers belonging to the constituent parties from the assemblies.

Also read: Opposition’s no-trust plan 'gaining steam'

The PML-N and PPP had publicly claimed their right to the office of the opposition leader in Senate.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had told reporters that the decision that the office would go to her party had already been made and it would not be reversed. She had said when the leaders of the alliance met at the residence of her party leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, they decided to support PPP’s Yousuf Raza Gilani for Senate chairman, JUI-F's Abdul Ghafoor Haideri for deputy chairman, and a PML-N candidate for the leader of the opposition slot.

The PML-N had nominated Azam Nazeer Tarar for the post, but PPP had not only rejected his nomination, but also lodged protest over it with the former because he was a lawyer for the accused police officials in the Benazir Bhutto murder case. Tarar’s choice was termed “controversial” by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The JUI-F had later clarified that its chief had also endorsed the PML-N’s candidate for the slot.
The PPP had admitted that it had previously agreed to give the office of the opposition leader to the PML-N in return for nomination of Gilani for the office of Senate chairman. But the situation had changed after Gilani's defeat.

In March last year, Gilani was notified as the opposition leader in the Senate after the PPP nominated him for the slot with the support of 30 lawmakers. The PDM had later issued a “show-cause” to the PPP over the Senate row, compelling the party to part ways with the alliance in April.

However, in November, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif reached out to the PPP in a bid to join forces against the PTI-led government.

Earlier this month, the PML-N and PPP agreed to make joint efforts and use every option at their disposal to oust the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led regime including moving a no-trust motion against the government.