ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will host an important meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in Islamabad on Saturday (today) to discuss the political situation and the future strategy for the alliance.
The meeting will also discuss matters relating to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) and will decide if both parties can be taken back again in the alliance or not.
PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz will also attend the critical meeting. Senator Mir Kabir Ahmed will represent the National Party in the PDM meeting.
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Friday met with PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The PML-N President had earlier chaired the first meeting of the PDM after being released from jail.
“The PDM leaders will discuss the PPP and ANP’s separation from the alliance of the joint opposition in its meeting on Saturday,” PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif told the media during a press conference along with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
“No party has the right to bring or kick another party out [of the alliance]. PDM is a forum and decisions are taken with consensus,” he added.
Shehbaz told the media that the Fazl-led alliance would also discuss the budget that the PTI government will present next month and the situation in Afghanistan.
He also explained that when the consultations are completed and a decision is taken then the president of the alliance announces the future course of action.
When pressed about his stance on the two parties’ returns, he clarified that he does not have a “personal opinion” and whatever he says is the “party’s opinion”.
Shehbaz Sharif said the alliance will also discuss the budget that will be presented by the PTI government next month and the situation in Afghanistan. PDM President Fazl said that the Shehbaz had arrived at his residence to inquire about his health.
PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is also establishing contacts with PDM parties and had met Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) chief Akhtar Mengal in Dubai recently.
The PML-N president has been focusing his efforts on bringing the PPP and the ANP back into the PDM fold to put pressure on the government once again.
Earlier this week, Maulana Fazl had said the PPP and ANP can rejoin the alliance if they apologised to the PDM for going against its decisions.
He said both parties — PPP and ANP — had been given sufficient time to get back to the PDM leadership but they have not done so.
