PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said on Sunday that the leader of the opposition in the Senate would be from the PML-N and that this was a "principled decision" which had already been agreed upon by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership.

Her remarks come days after the PPP formally lodged its protest with the PML-N leadership at the highest level over the latter’s decision to nominate Azam Nazeer Tarar for the office of opposition leader in the Senate.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Maryam said all member parties of the PDM had agreed that they would vote for PPP's Yousuf Raza Gilani for the Senate chairman election and JUI-F's Abdul Ghafoor Haideri for the deputy chairman election, while the opposition leader would be from the PML-N.

"Because this principled decision has already been taken, [...] there is no room for change in this after the victory or loss of anyone," she said, referring to Gilani's loss in the Senate chairman election.

Maryam added that the PDM had not decided that the decision regarding the opposition leader would be subject to change if the other opposition candidates lost the election for the other Senate posts.

"A principled decision has been taken and I hope that according to the principle, all parties will stand by this decision."

The PML-N leader said Rehman was in agreement with her stance along with other parties of the opposition alliance. She said if anyone was under the impression that any flexibility could be created in the decision then "they can be convinced too that a principled decision has already been taken so there is no need to reopen it".

Answering a question, Maryam said the PML-N and JUI-F had both successfully held rallies and protests with considerable numbers in the past and therefore they didn't need anyone else, however, "it would be better if the entire opposition is united on the demands of the people [...] and should do their representation together."

In his remarks, Rehman said the PPP was a "big party" and an important component of the PDM so they would continue to engage with it to resolve any disagreements or grievances the party might have.

However, he said nine members of the PDM had agreed upon resigning from the assemblies and called upon the PPP to respect their opinion. He said the PDM would await the decision of the PPP's central executive committee and would be ready to deliberate on the party's arguments.

"We will fix our matters with them in a very cordial and positive environment so that PDM not only remains united but effective as well, and we will move forward in an effective manner."

Rehman once again criticised the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over its petition to cancel Maryam's bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case, terming it a "puppet institution".

He announced that "hundreds of thousands" of PDM workers will accompany Maryam during her appearance before NAB on March 26, while members of the PDM leadership will also be "standing right beside her".

Differences over opposition leader

Sources had earlier said the PPP had protested Tarar's nomination by the PML-N leadership because of his being a lawyer for the accused in the Benazir Bhutto murder case.

PML-N Vice President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Wednesday confirmed that the party had nominated Tarar for the office of the opposition leader in the Senate as per an agreement reached among PDM parties.

Talking to Dawn, Abbasi, who was the head of the committee which had nominated the PDM candidates for the Senate, had claimed that the decision to give the office of the opposition leader to the PML-N was unanimous and it had nothing to do with the election of Gilani as the Senate chairman.

A PPP leader, meanwhile, had claimed that in the meeting of the PDM committee it had been decided that the slot of the opposition leader would go to the PML-N only if Gilani succeeded in the Senate chairman’s election. He said being the largest party on opposition benches in the Senate, it was the right of the PPP to have the opposition leader’s office.

'Nawaz Sharif vindicated'

Later in the day, while addressing a PML-N youth convention, Maryam said Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa's recent remarks about putting "our own house in order" vindicated her father PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif's stance when he was the prime minister.

"Nawaz Sharif had asked them in a meeting behind closed doors to 'put our own house in order first or risk us being humiliated globally', but what happened today? Today, they didn't even try to change Nawaz Sharif's words [and] are saying 'we have to put our own house in order first'," Maryam claimed.