Opposition’s ‘all parties conference’ gets underway in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: The combined opposition’s All Parties Conference (APC) has commenced in Islamabad, reported ARY News.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is presiding over the APC at a local hotel in federal capital.

The conference is aimed at working out a plan to prevent the passage of the budget for the new fiscal year in the National Assembly and try to evolve a consensus for launching a movement against the government.

Leaders of most of the opposition parties, including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), are in attendance.

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif is leading a delegation of the PML-N, which also comprises the party’s vice president Maryam Nawaz and senior vice president Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

Whereas, the PPP’s delegation comprise former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Sherry Rehman and Farhatullah Babar.

It is noteworthy that the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), an important partner of the PTI-led coalition government, declined to attend the APC.

BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal wrote a letter to the JUI-F chief, excusing himself from attending the meet.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq had earlier announced not to participate in the conference.

Before the APC, the parliamentary parties of the opposition held a meeting at the Parliament House, which was also attended by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.