ISLAMABAD, March 1: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday met PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the formation of a national consensus government as proposed by the PPP.

According to PPP spokesman Farhatullah Khan Babar, the JUI-F chief had arrived in the Zardari House with three other members of his party to hold discussion on the future political set-up and constitutional amendments.

Mr Zardari had formally invited the MMA to become part of the national consensus government when he met the Maulana at the residence of MMA Senator Talha Mehmood on Thursday.

The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI)-less MMA has won only five seats in the National Assembly in the Feb 18 polls.

Sources told Dawn that Maulana Fazl had assured Mr Zardari that the MMA would support the PPP’s move to abolish the National Security Council and Article 58(2)B from the Constitution.

The sources said that another PML leader Hamid Nasir Chattha also held a meeting with Mr Zardari on Saturday.

It was Mr Chathha’s second meeting with the PPP co-chairman in one week. It is not yet clear as to what is the agenda of Mr Chattha, who has been nominated as the parliamentary leader of the PML-Q in the Punjab Assembly.

Mr Chattha lost the National Assembly seat, but managed to win a provincial assembly seat from Gujranwala in the Feb 18 elections.

Saudi Ambassador Ali S. Awadh Asseri also called on Mr Zardari and condoled with him the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.