Inside story: PPP convinced PDM parties to take part in upcoming polls

The inside story of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) session at Jati Umra has emerged after the opposition alliance deferred decision to tender resignations from assemblies besides agreeing to participate in the upcoming Senate polls and by-elections, ARY News reported.

Sources told ARY News that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) convinced PDM constituent parties including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) to take part in Senate and by-elections; as well as recommending them to postpone long march to Islamabad till the conclusion of Upper House polls.

A briefing was given by PPP’s Farhatullah Babar in which he stated that Senate elections would not be stopped from being organised by tendering resignations from assemblies by opposition lawmakers.

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The recommendations prepared by legal experts of PPP including Raza Rabbani and Aitzaz Ahsan, Farooq H Naik, Latif Khosa had also been presented in the yesterday’s session which opposed the decision to resigning from the assemblies.

The PPP leaders expressed fears that the ruling party will get a two-thirds majority in the Upper House and will also get freehand to proceed to its agendas which include presidential system and changes in 18th constitutional amendment.

The opposition parties including Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and others that were earlier persistent to resign en masse from assemblies and to refrain from taking part in upcoming elections have changed their decisions. They agreed to fully participate in Senate and by-elections by not leaving the political ground to the ruling political party.

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It had been decided to run an effective campaign against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government. Other decisions include contacting labourers, traders, transporters before calling for a country-wide strike before marching towards Islamabad.

Earlier on Friday, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had announced that they will take part in upcoming by-elections.

Addressing a press conference following an hours-long meeting of the PDM’s leadership at Jati Umrah, Fazlur Rehman had said that decision about taking part in Senate polls has not been made yet.