LAHORE, Dec 10: The PPP and the PML-N will cooperate with each other in the by-election on the national and provincial seats in the Punjab.

This was announced at a briefing after a meeting of PPP’s Lahore Coordination Committee held under the chairmanship of Mr Khalid Kharal on Tuesday.

Munir Ahmed Khan, who briefed the press, said party vacating any seat would have the right to put up its candidate there and the other party would extend its fullest support.

The participants were of the view that the PPP being the largest party in Sindh should be given the first right to form its government there. The federal government and intelligence agencies, they said, should not use their influence to help a particular party to get majority through artificial methods.

Criticizing the government for encouraging defections from the PPP, they said it amounted to negating the democratic values. Turncoats, they said, should not be patronized in any case.

The committee also decided to hold a convention of its MNAs, MPAs, ticket-holders and the district presidents of the Punjab in Lahore on Dec 18 to discuss the political situation and work out party’s future course of action.

Qasim Zia, Altaf Qureshi, Mian Misbahur Rehman and Ehsanul Paracha were among participants.