LAHORE: Seven Rightist parties … decided to forge a united front which would function as a single parliamentary party … under the Nomenclature of “United Coalition Party” (UCP) with Mr Nurul Amin as its leader. According to a joint declaration … the activities of the unified party would not remain confined to the National Assembly but further steps would be taken “to bring about greater harmony and co-operation of the parties outside the National Assembly”.

Other parties would be admitted to the coalition with the … consent of the leaders of all the seven component parties. … Talking to newsmen … Mr Nurul Amin, expressed the hope that similar arrangements would be made in the Provincial Assemblies. The West Pakistan PDP chief, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, told correspondents that the component parties which had formed a coalition would maintain their separate entities. The joint declaration according to him had not been put forward by any individual or party but was based on consensus emerging from the general discussion. …

Mr Nurul Amin later told a Press conference that his party was willing if necessary to negotiate with the cleared Awami League members of the National Assembly over the question of formation of Government at the Centre ….

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2021