ISLAMABAD, Feb 27: One of the main opposition parties at the centre — Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F (JUI-F) — agreed on Wednesday to the government’s idea of holding elections to the national and provincial assemblies on the same day.

“We accepted the plans of the government to hold elections of all assemblies on the same day,” a JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri told Dawn.

He said his party’s chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had endorsed the idea during his meeting with Law Minister Farooq H. Naek. Maulana Haideri was present at the meeting.

President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday tasked Mr Naek to meet leaders of different parties to convince them on the plan of holding elections to the national and provincial assemblies on the same day.

In order to ascertain the views of the law minister, Dawn tried to contact him repeatedly but could not reach him.

It has been learnt that the National Assembly will be dissolved on March 16, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on March 27, Sindh Assembly on April 4, Balochistan Assembly on April 6 and Punjab Assembly on April 8. According to the ruling party leaders, elections will be held in the middle of May.

The government believes that it is necessary to hold the provincial and national elections on the same day to ensure democratic stability and transparency in electoral process.

Maulana Haideri said the law minister presented a three-point agenda.

— To hold elections of the national and provincial assemblies on the same day; — To seek the support of the JUI-F for passage of domestic violence bill, and; — A JUI-F role in lifting of governor rule and restoration of political set-up in Balochistan.

It is also expected that the law minister will soon meet the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif over the issue.

After his meeting with PML-N leaders, Mr Naek will finalise a strategy over holding of elections on the same day.

Maulana Haideri said his party rejected the government’s demand regarding its support for domestic violence bill. “How can we support a bill that lapsed because of our party’s opposition to it,” he said.

On the issue of lifting of governor’s rule in Balochistan and election of new chief minister, the law minister offered the top slot to JUI-F. “However, the JUI-F chief refused to accept the offer and decided to sit on opposition benches in the new set-up,” he added.