PDM confab fails to reach consensus on elections timeline

A split seems to be emerging within the rainbow coalition of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) after they failed to reach consensus on when should the general elections should be held.

A second meeting was held at the Prime Minister House in two days with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair and other leaders of PDM in attendance including PDM President and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and former president and Pakistan Peoples Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leaders and federal ministers including Ishaq Dar, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Amir Muqam and others also attended the meeting.

As the leaders resumed their discussion on when to hold the general elections, difference of opinions emerged.

The meeting was also held in context of the upcoming by-elections for the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies as well as by-polls on vacant National Assembly seats.

It is pertinent to note that ECP has announced the by-elections on the 33 National Assembly seats on March 16.

On this occasion, consultations were held on the overall political situation of the country.

Sources told SAMAA TV that the PPP wanted to hold elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as per the schedule.

PPP was of the opinion to respect the constitution and follow it when holding general elections.

However, the rest of the PDM wanted to delay elections of the national and provincial assemblies until after the results are available of the upcoming census.

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari held a key confab at the Prime Minister House.

Zardari arrived at the PM House on Wednesday evening and met with Shehbaz.

The meeting was also attended by Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Economic and Political Affairs Ayaz Sadiq, Railways and Aviation Saad Rafiq and PPP leaders Senator Salim Mandviwala and Dr Asim Hussain were present.

They discussed the evolving situation in the country, especially the challenges faced by the country and deliberated on the upcoming by-polls for the provincial assembly of Punjab and KP and the national assembly.