LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz on Sunday hosted a meeting with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Jati Umra to devise a joint strategy for giving a tough time to the government.
Both leaders pondered over possibilities of resisting the government and expressed unity to oppose the passing of the budget proposed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led federal government. They expressed that only democracy and supremacy of law can help Pakistan progressing.
The senior leaders of both parties, including Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Hasan Murtaza and Chaudhary Manzor from the PPP and Rana Sanaullah, Ayaz Sadiq, former governor Muhammad Zubair, Pervez Rashid and Marriyum Aurangzeb also attended the meeting.
The leadership of both parties decided to progress as per the spirit of democracy pact. The leaders expressed that government is suppressing all voices criticizing its policies, adding that fraud in the name of new Pakistan would not be tolerated. They said nation is looking towards them and they won’t disappoint nation.
The meeting decided that public enemy IMF budget should not get approval from parliament and pledged mutual cooperation in this regard.
The leaders of the opposition said that famous political parties can pull the country out of the crisis, adding that the incumbent government has failed to address public aspirations. They said allegations against opposition leaders are a conspiracy to make nation leaderless.
They said a puppet PM has occupied the government by pushing popular leaders aside. They said political parties can’t go against the will of its people that is why puppets were brought to rule public.
Earlier, the PPP chairman had accepted the invitation when Maryam telephoned him.
The invitation came a few weeks after Bilawal Bhutto Zardari arranged a grand Iftar party for the opposition leaders and also invited Maryam Nawaz to devise a joint strategy against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
The PPP leader also hosted PML-N’s Hamza Shehbaz, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Ayaz Sadiq amongst others.
PPP leaders Asif Ali Zardari, Sherry Rehman and Raza Rabbani were also present on the occasion.
This was the second meeting between the two in less than a month. Previously, they had met in May when the PPP chairman hosted an Iftar dinner for the leaders hailing from the opposition parties at Zardari House in Islamabad.
Former President Asif Ali Zardari, Hamza Shahbaz, Ayaz Sadiq, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Awami National Party (ANP) leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain, PTM leaders Ali Wazir, Muhsin Dawar, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Liaqat Baloch, PPP leaders Khurshid Shah, Raza Rabbani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Yousuf Raza Gillani among others attended the event.
It is to be noted that the opposition parties, PPP and PML-N, are rattled by the recent arrests of their top brass at the hands of NAB. Moreover, the opposition has decided to hold an anti-government protest.
Meanwhile, the declaration of meeting between Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has been issued Sunday.
According to a declaration, PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto along with other senior party leaders arrived at the Sharif’s family residence Jati Umra on an invitation from PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz.
During the meeting, both leaders discuss the overall political situation of the country.
Both sides exchanged views on the cases made by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the behavior of the courts.
The two leaders took note that the incumbent government presented one federal budget and two mini-budgets in past 10 months.
The meeting discussed the matters pertaining to mutual interest and All Parties Conference (APC). The meeting highlighted the targeted behavior of the PTI government with opposition parties.
Both parties underlined the one-sided action from NAB and its chairman against the opposition.
“Strategy of incompetent government has disgraced Pakistan at the international as well as on diplomatic level,” added declaration.
The incompetence of PTI government has also paralyzed the parliament, said a declaration.
The two sides condemned the references made against the honorable judges and termed it as an attack on the judiciary.
It was agreed in a meeting to contact all opposition parties for making a joint strategy.
Earlier today, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while addressing a press conference, claimed that they will not allow the government to pass the ‘anti-public budget’ at any cost.
The latest meeting between prominent leaders of the two major opposition parties was organised to finalise future strategy for anti-government movement after the detention of its top leaders including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari.
He further claimed that they will get nation free from the tsunami of inflation and bring the puppet government for accountability.
The PPP chairman announced to initiate anti-government movement from Nawabshah’s public address on the event of the birthday of slain Benazir Bhutto. – NNI