Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman urged former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to respect the joint decisions of the PDM leadership.
In a telephonic conversation on Wednesday, Fazl reportedly told Zardari that the Senate opposition leader seat belonged to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as per the decisions made during the PDM meetings. He urged the PPP not to nominate its candidate on the seat.
The two leaders agreed to resolve all issues together and after the intervention of the PDM leadership, both parties stopped their workers and spokespersons from making statements against each other.
Earlier, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari asked their party workers to avoid giving “harsh” statements against each other.
Sources confirmed that Bilawal directed the party leadership not to issue harsh statements under any circumstance that may harm the opposition alliance. Earlier, Ahsan told media in Lahore that the PML-N will not respond to the statements of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal.
However, the situation is still not so good for the PDM. The PPP has refused to withdraw its candidate in favour of PML-N in the by-elections on the NA-249 seat, Karachi.
Insiders said that PDM Secretary General Shahid Khaqan Abbasi visited the Zardari House last week to seek the PPP’s support for his party’s candidate. He urged Bilawal to withdraw the PPP candidate Qadir Mandokhail against Miftah Ismael of the PML-N.
They said Bilawal told Abbasi that he would discuss the matter with his party’s leadership and reportedly turned down his request on Wednesday.
