ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairperson and former President Asif Ali Zardari has said he will suggest to the government to again invite the leaders of the political parties and brief them in-camera about the project to alleviate their reservations, if any.
This he said during a meeting with Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah here on Saturday. The meeting discussed political situation of the country. The two leaders also discussed China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC), particularly with reference to the declaration of the APC in Quetta.
Khurshid Shah informed the former president about the declaration and the reservations expressed by various politicians regarding the CPEC.
The former president said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had convened the parliamentary party leaders’ conference on the CPEC on May 13 on his suggestion during which Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal gave a detailed briefing on the matter. However, he said the briefing remained inconclusive owing to the tragic incident of Safoora Chourangi, Karachi, which occurred on the same day. Zardari said he would suggest to the government to again invite the leaders of the political parties and brief them in-camera about the project to alleviate their reservations, if any.
Asif Ali Zardari said CPEC was a key to the development of Pakistan, so it should not be made controversial. The political parties, having reservations over the CPEC should talk to the government instead of expressing their reservations publicly. He said playing up the issue to the media was not in the country’s interest. The former president said Pak-China agreements were historic and crucial for the development and progress of the country, so all the political parties should keep interests of the country in mind.
PPP SEEKS JUI-F SUPPORT IN MULTAN BY-POLL
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has increased contacts with JUI-F to get its support for different political matters including the upcoming bye-elections on PP-196 (Multan), Gilgit-Baltistan polls and unanimous strategy on Pak-China Economic Corridor (PCEC).
The leadership of both the political factions are conducting back-to-back meetings to make joint strategies on these matters. PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari is trying to get JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman’s support for the Multan bye-elections for his party’s candidate Muhammad Hussain Arian. “PPP’s senior leader Yousaf Raza Gilani in this regard met Maulana Fazlur Rahman and received a positive response,” said PPP sources while talking to The Nation. Fazl, the sources said, had assured his party’s support in the case of PPP-196 after thorough consultation with his party members. The seat of PPP-196 was vacated when MPA Waheed Arian was disqualified for holding dual National Identity Cards.
Earlier, Zardari also met the JUI-F chief and discussed political matters other day (Thursday night). Zardari had asked the JUI-F chief to make a joint strategy on the upcoming general elections in Gilgit-Baltistan.