ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari discussed the overall political situation of the country on telephone.
During the telephonic conversation on Saturday, the two leaders also discussed the appointment of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) members. According to the PML-N, the two leaders discussed the ECP appointments and agreed that they will proceed forward together on the matter with consultations.
دونوں رہنماؤں کا الیکشن کمیشن کے ارکان کی تقرری کے آئینی معاملے پر مشاورت کے ساتھ آگے بڑھنے پر اتفاق
— PML(N) (@pmln_org) September 4, 2021
Meanwhile, the PPP also issued a statement following the meeting, saying that the two, besides the appointment of the ECP members, also discussed the overall political situation in the country.
ملتان: چیئرمین بلاول بھٹو زرداری اور شہباز شریف کے درمیان الیکشن کمیشن کے اراکین کی تقرری کے معاملے پر بھی گفتگو ہوئی
— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) September 4, 2021
The contact between the two Opposition leaders comes amid a rift in the Opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement, an alliance that the PPP quit in April this year, along with another member, the Awami National Party (ANP).
The PDM has decided to organise another round of countrywide rallies to topple the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. Earlier in August, PDM announced marching towards Islamabad to topple the ruling PTI.
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif Shehbaz accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of making false promises to the people of Sindh and Karachi. “In 2019, PM Imran announced Rs162 billion for Sindh and Karachi and then in 2020 he announced a developmental package worth Rs1,100 billion for the province,” he said.
Shehbaz had said except for a ‘few pennies’, PM Imran did not fulfil his promise of providing funds to the province. He credited his elder brother and former premier Nawaz Sharif for stabilising the country’s economy and restoring law and order in the port city.
ECP appointments
Two seats of the ECP — one each from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — fell vacant due to the members retiring on July 26.
Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote a letter to Shahbaz last week over the matter of ECP appointments, in accordance with Articles 213 and 218 of the Constitution, so these vacancies may be filled in consultation with the Opposition.
The prime minister has nominated three names each for the two vacant ECP seats in Punjab and KP. For Punjab, the prime minister has nominated Ahsan Mehboob — a retired BS-22 officer from the Police Service, Raja Aamir Khan — an advocate at Supreme Court of Pakistan, and Syed Pervaiz Abbas — a retired BS-22 officer from Pakistan Administrative Service.
For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PM recommended retired justice Ikramullah Khan, Faridullah Khan — a retired BS-22 officer from Pakistan Administrative Service, and Muzammil Khan an advocate at Pakistan Supreme Court.
