Maulana Fazl ‘conditionally agrees’ on timely elections

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman has ‘conditionally agreed’ on timely elections in second meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif amid ‘political differences’, ARY News reported on Tuesday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that the PDM President held a second meeting with PM Shehbaz Sharif following the former’s reservations over Dubai meeting held between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Sources claimed that Maulana Fazl has conditionally agreed on timely elections, saying that political decisions including elections will be accepted if “made from platform of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)”.

During the meeting, sources said, the JUI-F chief expressed reservations over position of PPP – the ruling coalition partner in Centre.

Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz apprised Fazlur Rehman of the decisions taken in the Dubai meeting between PPP and PML-N’s leadership. “Rehman was apprised that the meeting was held for confidence building on some issues,” sources claimed.

The PML-N president told Fazlur Rehman that his party would have taken the coalition parties into confidence for a mutual decision after ‘confidence building’. “We want decision as per Constitution, but will not surpass the PDM,” sources quoting PM said.

This was the second meeting held between the two political leaders after Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed ‘displeasure’ over Zardari-Nawaz Dubai meeting held last month to ‘resolve political issues.’

“PML-N [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz] should have taken coalition parties into confidence before holding meeting in Dubai,” the JUI-F chairman said while talking to journalists in Peshawar, expressing displeasure over the ‘ignorance’.

Maulana Fazl pointed out that the PML-N has not yet taken the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) into confidence about the meeting with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) – the ruling coalition partner in Centre.

He said that the meeting was not sudden, but had been planned, so everyone should have been taken into confidence.

It is pertinent to mention here that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif met with former President Asif Zardari in a hotel located along Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.

The top leadership from the PML-N and PPP met in Dubai to decide the timing of the next general elections in the country and “their share” in the future set-up.

Zardari in a meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo, Nawaz Sharif in Dubai ‘convinced’ him also to hold elections on time as per the constitution, the sources said.