Coalition eyes in-house consensus for talks with opposition

Published April 18, 2023
A delegation of the PPP leaders meet Awami National Party (ANP) leaders in Islamabad on Monday. — PID photo
A delegation of the PPP leaders meet Awami National Party (ANP) leaders in Islamabad on Monday. — PID photo

ISLAMABAD: In an apparent move to evolve in-house consensus on the issue of initiating a dialogue with the opposition, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has summoned a meeting of the heads of the coalition parties at the Prime Minister’s House slated to be held in the afternoon today.

On the other hand, a delegation of the PPP leaders approached the Awami National Party (ANP) on Monday as its leadership attempted to provide “a conducive environment for dialogue” among political parties to address the prevalent crisis.

In a media talk, Senator Yousaf Raza Gilani said the PPP delegation appr­oa­ched the ANP on Monday for a dialogue on the instructions of PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Asif Ali Zard­ari, reported APP.

The senator said the ANP had always rendered sacrifices for the restoration of democracy and rule of law.

He added the basic purpose of the Constitution was that all institutions would exercise their powers within their constitutional domain. Now, the party would approach the leadership of the Balochistan National Party (BNP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, Balochistan Awami Party and others, he added.

ANP Secretary General Mian Iftikhar Hussain termed the meeting “a good step by the PPP”.

He added the political parties would have joined hands for the supremacy of parliament and to ensure that all institutions remained in their constitutional domain.

Mr Hussain said the ANP would organise a multi-party moot on May 3 in which all political parties, including the PTI, would be invited to break the current impasse.

In light of the multi-party moot, a delegation of the ANP would also call on the MQM-P today, said spokesperson Zahid Khan. The ANP leader said the meeting likely to take place at 2pm today would stock of the political situation. He added that the ANP would also extend an invitation for the multi-party moot to the MQM-P.

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Dangerous times
Updated 14 Feb, 2025

Dangerous times

Pakistan accounted for six journalist killings in 2024, of which three were deliberately murdered, according to the CPJ.
Difficult target
14 Feb, 2025

Difficult target

A ONE-two punch delivered by an unforeseen, sharp dip in inflation and an extremely slim base of taxpayers is...
Amazing show
14 Feb, 2025

Amazing show

PAKISTAN’S ability to turn it up at the flick of a switch remains uninhibited. The latest show came in...
Trump’s folly
Updated 13 Feb, 2025

Trump’s folly

This latest pronouncement only reinforces the fears of those who see the plan as a blueprint for ethnic cleansing.
Corruption ranking
13 Feb, 2025

Corruption ranking

IT comes as little surprise. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2024, unveiled on...
Support from remittances
13 Feb, 2025

Support from remittances

EVEN though workers’ remittances dipped, albeit negligibly, in January on a month-over-month basis, the earnings...