A multiparty conference of the opposition went underway in Islamabad around Monday noon.

The conference, which was called and is being hosted by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, is being attended by leaders and members of most opposition parties. However, PPP co-chairmen Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif are not in attendance.

Commenting on the key leaders' absence, Special Adviser to Prime Minister for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan tweeted to say that the PPP and PML-N had yet again 'played' Rehman by not showing up.

The prime minister's adviser said that Rehman's time would be better spent condemning the atrocities in Kashmir rather than finding common ground the the two leading opposition parties.

The parties have sat down to discuss the opposition's future course of action. Actions like locking Islamabad down and holding a 'million march' in the capital are being discussed.

Members of the opposition parties have also taken this chance to condemn India's actions on occupied Kashmir.