ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will hold an important meeting with allied parties in Lahore on Tuesday (today) to discuss the situation after the Punjab bypolls.
The prime minister has invited leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and other allied parties after the PML-N received a huge upset in the bypolls held on Sunday when it managed to secure just four seats. The PTI received 15 seats while an independent candidate won one seat.
In a statement, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said the government’s coalition partners and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders will hold consultation on important matters and review overall situation in the country.
A day earlier, Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman held telephonic conversations and discussed the developing situation after the PML-N failed to form a majority in the Punjab Assembly.
They reviewed the results of the Punjab by-polls and discussed the future strategy of the coalition government in Punjab and the Centre.
According to reports, the party is expected to participate in the election for chief minister but will nominate a different candidate.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif floated the idea to dissolve the Punjab Assembly. Zardari opposed the idea and maintained that the election for chief minister should be held as per court orders. Nawaz Sharif said the tough decisions had cost the party.
Later on Monday, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) held a hybrid meeting of the Central Executive Council (CEC) expressed support for the coalition government and decided that the current assemblies must complete its term.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari reviewed the political situation. The meeting decided that Zardari and Bilawal will reach Lahore to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
In the meeting, the PPP decided that the next general polls will be held at its scheduled time after election reforms. The CEC reviewed the by-elections of Punjab and decided that the federal government should complete its term.
PPP leader Yousuf Raza Gilani held a press conference and ensured that his party would continue its support to allied parties. Gilani also said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has lost on its five seats in the Punjab bypolls.
Gilani said the PPP leadership decided that the party would stay supportive of its allies in every difficult time. He said that PPP supported PML-N candidates in the by-elections. “All the decisions would be taken with consensus. There will be no solo flight. We will not ditch our allies,” he reaffirmed.
Gilani said that election commission and the government deserve commendation for holding elections in a free, fair, and transparent manner and claims of PTI leaders proved wrong.
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