Opposition's APC to be held tomorrow
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz will also attend the APC.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – As the opposition parties seem to have accelerated their preparedness, and formation of a joint strategy for giving a ‘real tough time’ to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led federal government, all opposition parties will attend the All Parties Conference (APC) in Islamabad tomorrow (June 26) – as it is being claimed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazl-ur-Rehman.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz will arrive at the venue of the APC along with a high-level delegation of the party.
On June 24, Fazl formally invited several prominent leaders of different political parties to attend the opposition’s APC, and had a telephonic conversation with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, National Party (NP) chief Hasil Bizenjo and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai.
According to earlier reports, he also tried to contact Akhtar Mengal, the chief of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M); however he could not be reached for a talk as he was abroad.
Moreover, Fazl had stated that close contacts of Mengal have also assured their presence in the APC.
On June 17, the veteran politician Fazl met Bilawal at his residence, and later held a meeting with Shehbaz after a session of the National Assembly (NA) to examine and focus on time, place and the agenda of the APC.
Pervez Khattak sees APC ‘failing’
On the other hand, Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak has strongly responded to the opposition’s APC and said that it would fail.
He expressed satisfaction that the budget 2019-20 [for the upcoming fiscal year] would be passed despite of the opposition’s hurdles.
Khattak stated that there was no point of conflict with the BNP-M over the proposed budget.
Sheikh Rasheed confident about the budget
Standing firmly alongside the PTI-led government, Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said on Tuesday that the budget “will definitely be passed” as the government has 25 to 30 more members in the parliament [as compared to the opposition].
“The prime minister has once again said that no one will get an NRO,” he said, adding that those who were participating or organising the APC would miserably fall into a trap.
Recent political strife between the opposition and the PTI has gained new heights following the arrests of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, his sibling Faryal Talpur and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in different corruption cases.
