No PPP, ANP: PDM to discuss anti-govt strategy today

• The PDM is meeting today amid differences with PPP and ANP.
• The Opposition alliance has not invited the PPP and ANP to today's meeting.
• PDM will discuss the anti-government movement, long march and resignations from the assemblies planned for after Eidul Fitr.

ISLAMABAD: The Opposition alliance is meeting today to deliberate over its anti-government strategy, but the PPP and ANP have not been invited to the steering committee meeting.

According to report by The News, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has decided in principle that it will not invite the parties to the next meeting of leaders of its component parties after they announced to quit the alliance following show-cause notices.

The PDM had served notices to PPP and ANP after they unilaterally got Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani elected Opposition leader in the Senate, violating a consensus decision of the PDM.

The publication reported that the PDM will discuss the anti-government movement, long march and resignations from the assemblies planned after Eidul Fitr.

Sources privy to the recent contacts among former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman and PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif said these leaders have developed a consensus that the PPP and ANP leadership will not be invited to the next meeting of leaders of component parties.

They said both Nawaz and Fazl are of the view that if the PPP and ANP gave appropriate replies to the clarification sought by PDM, they could again become its part but these parties acted against their expectations.

The sources said Nawaz and Fazl now adopted a strict stance against PPP and ANP and both of them also informed Shahbaz about it during their separate telephonic conversations with him.

Though Shahbaz holds a somewhat different position regarding PPP and ANP, he will not take any position contrary to the views of Nawaz, the sources said.

Read more: Defiant PPP says it is vacating all positions in PDM, demands apology

They said it would now be tough for Fazl to convince Shahbaz for the political stance already taken by him regarding the long march and resignations from the assemblies, adding that “the support from Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz will certainly help the PDM rope in Shahbaz Sharif for its political goals and targets.”

They said the PML-N has already made a strategy if the PPP tries to contact Shahbaz to develop a consensus with him on the issue of resignations from the assemblies.

“If the PPP thinks that it can take advantage of the ‘soft’ viewpoint of Shahbaz over resignations from the assemblies, the PML-N will certainly have a surprise for it,” the sources said.

They said Shahbaz will lead the PML-N delegation at the next PDM meeting that will also include Maryam.

When contacted, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told The News that he had taken back invitation from the PDM leaders for a meeting of the steering committee. "First, we will prepare agenda items, then we will hold a meeting of the PDM leaders,” he said.

To a question, he said: “at the moment, the PDM has decided not to invite PPP and ANP for the next meeting of the leaders of its component parties.”