- MPC will also consider joint candidates for NA speaker, deputy speaker’s office
ISLAMABAD: Opposition parties have called another multi-party conference (MPC) in the federal capital on Thursday to finalise the names of candidates for the posts of prime minister, leader of the opposition, National Assembly speaker, and NA deputy speaker.
The MPC will be attended by leaders from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Qaumi Watan Party, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and others.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) had earlier decided to attend the conference but later the party decided to back Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the Centre, following which the decision to attend the MPC was withdrawn.
The opposition leaders will also decide upon a joint strategy regarding oath taking of the members of NA-elect (MNAs).
The MPC is also expected to issue a white paper regarding alleged rigging in the recent general elections and call for the resignations of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) members and the chief election commissioner (CEC).
Furthermore, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto will reportedly reach Islamabad on Wednesday to hold meetings with other opposition party leaders.
On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan will hold a party meeting to deliberate on government formation in Islamabad and provinces.
The selection of PTI’s candidates for the slots of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab chief ministers (CM) will also come under discussion.
Moreover, the PTI chairman will also discuss allocation of ministerial portfolios in the meeting.
Earlier on Monday, senior leadership of the opposition parties in a meeting had decided to form a joint strategy as a grand coalition and protest inside and outside the parliament against alleged rigging in the election.
Addressing a joint press conference after the meeting, they had condemned the alleged rigging of the elections and had demanded that the CEC and other members should resign for their failure to hold free and fair election.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Shehbaz Sharif, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Saad Rafique, Amir Muqam, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Sherry Rehman, Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Nuzhat Sadiq, Naveed Qamar, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Farhatullah Babar, Ahsan Iqbal and Balighur Rehman had attended the meeting.
They had discussed the prevailing political situation in the country and the way forward over alleged irregularities in the election and had also decided to issue a white paper about it.