APC decides to field joint candidates for PM, Speaker

Dunya News

All opposition parties will play a role of strong opposition

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – An All Parties Conference (APC) presided over by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Shehbaz Sharif and attended by the representatives of several political parties, decided that members of all political parties will take oath.

The representatives of several political parties were missing as the joint opposition held another round of All Parties Conference (APC) at former National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s residence.

In attendance at the APC were Pakistan Peoples’ Party’s (PPP) Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Khursheed Shah, Sherry Rehman, Awami National Party’s (ANP) Mian Iftikhar Hussain, National Party (NP) leader Hasil Bazenjo, Moulana Fazlur Rehman, Akram Durrani, Mahmood Achakzai, Asfandyar Wali, Liaqat Baloch, Naveed Qamar and Moulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Shehbaz Sharif, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Raja Zafarul Haq, Ahsan Iqbal, Mushahid Hussain Syed and Mushahidullah also participated in the meeting.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari failed to attend the meeting.

Talking to media after the meeting, PPP leader Sherry Rehman said that all political parties have decided to take oath, adding that they will give the elected puppet government a tough time.

She said that all parties have reached consensus on various points and the opposition parties have jointly decided that the opposition’s joint candidate for PM would be from the PML-N, while the opposition’s joint candidate for NA speaker and deputy speaker would be from PPP and MMA respectively.

Rehman went on to say that the joint opposition while strongly rejecting the fake election has decided to stage protest in and outside the parliament.

“All opposition parties will play a role of strong opposition,” she said.

“A 16-member working committee has been formed which would formulate TORs,” the PPP leader said and added all political parties will issue their white papers.

Earlier, a multi-party conference and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) had rejected the just-concluded Pakistan election results, demanding a transparent and free and fair re-election.

The APC called to devise a joint strategy over alleged rigging in the 2018 general elections of Pakistan, demanded a "transparent" re-election and said the polls were "rigged massively" and the results were manipulated.

Attended by leaders of various parties, the APC was chaired by PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman. It was held at the Islamabad residence of MMA leader Mian Aslam.

"The APC (all parties conference) had completely rejected the July 25 elections with consensus," announced Rehman while addressing the media after the conference concluded.

"We do not consider this election to be the mandate of the public."