'This is not what I want' Zardari on Nawaz's backing of PPP's Rabbani for Senate chairmanship

“This is not what I want,” said Zardari when asked about Nawaz Sharif’s backing of PPP’s Raza Rabbani for Senate chairmanship.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman, who met Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad to discuss the imminent election, out-rightly rejected the idea proposed by his political rival Nawaz Sharif.

“Thank you very much, but this is not what I want,” Zardari replied when asked about his rival’s backing for one his own party stalwarts.

About his meeting with Fazl, Zardari said that the JUI-F chief will consult his allies before taking any decision regarding backing PPP’s candidate for Senate chairmanship.

Earlier, in the day, PML-N’s Supreme Leader Nawaz Sharif met allies Fazlur Rehman and Mahmood Achakzai of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) and discussed the strategy for election of custodian of the upper house.

Talking to media, after the meeting, the former PM said that his party and their allies will support if PPP nominates Raza Rabbani for the slot and will only nominate a candidate if PPP chooses someone else to contest the election.

PML-N emerged as the largest party in the upper house with 33 seats after clinching 15 more in Senate elections on 52 vacant seats on March 3, and is just short of 20 votes to hit the magic figure of 53, the simple majority, in the 104-member chamber to elect its nominee as the chairman.

The PPP with its 20 seats, requires another 33 members to get its nominee elected.