PPP, PMLN, MMA to nominate joint candidates for post of PM, Speaker, Deputy Speaker in NA

ISLAMABAD: Three major parties Pakistan Muslim League(N), Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Majlis Amal Thursday announced that they will nominate joint candidates for the office of Prime Minister, Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the National Assembly.

Addressing a press conference here after an All Parties Conference (APC), Senator Sherry Rehman was of the view that the parties had rejected the rigged election on July 25 and would protest inside and outside the Parliament and play role of a strong opposition.

She said the candidate for Prime Minister would be from Pakistan Muslim League (N), candidate for Speaker would come from Pakistan Peoples Party and Deputy Speaker would be nominated from Muttahida Majlis Amal.

According to PML-N spokesman Marriyum Aurangzeb, a 16-member Joint Action Committee was formed to carry out strategy of the parties.

The action committee members include Mushahid Hussain Syed, Saad Rafique, Ahsan Iqbal, Sherry Rehman, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Mian Iftikhar, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Liaquat Baloch, Aneesa Zeb Tahirkheli, Owais Noorani, Liaquat Baloch, Barrister Masroor, Usman Karar, Raza Muhammad Raza, Malik Ayub and Senator Mir Kabir.

The grouping of major parties attended the All Parties Conference at the residence of former National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq here.

Representatives of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Pakistan Peoples Party, Muttahida Majlis Amal, Awami National Party, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, National Party and others attended the meeting.

Those who were present included Shehbaz Sharif, Asfandyar Wali Khan, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Senator Hasil Bizenjo, Raja Zafarul Haq, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Saad Rafique, Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Khursheed Shah, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Senator Sherry Rehman, Yousaf Raza Gilani, Senator Farhatullah Babar, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Sajid Mir, Senator Chaudhry Tanveer and members of other parties. The parties’ strategy with regard to protest inside and outside Parliament was discussed.

Senator Sherry Rehman claimed that it was incorrect to say that Result Transmission System of Election Commission stopped working on election day.

Ahsan Iqbal said it was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that one week after the election all major parties came together and rejected the election results.

He said the parties would uphold the democratic ideals and continue their struggle for holding of free and fair elections.

The opposition parties will also issue a white paper about rigging in the July 25 general election and will continue with their demand for resignation of the chief election commissioner and other Election Commission of Pakistan members. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan did not attend the APC since it had decided to support Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the centre.

Marriyum said democratic parties had come together after the theft of mandate of people in the election.

She said all parties had decided to take oath in the National Assembly while rejecting the rigged elections. The Joint Action Committee will meet on Friday to act on the points agreed during the All Parties Conference.