ISLAMABAD - A crucial ‘make or break’ meeting between the erstwhile coalition partners - the PPP and PML-Q - to resolve differences about making seat adjustment for the elections would be held in Lahore today. Sources in the PPP told TheNation on Monday that the two parties would have a crucial meeting to resolve the differences over the seats adjustment as a last-ditch effort to continue cooperation even in the elections. Earlier, the talks between the two parties over the seat adjustment came to a sudden halt a couple of days back and the joint committee constituted for the purpose referred the matter to their top leadership
It was after the deadlock that PML-Q on Monday announced their candidates for 87 national and 140 provincial constituencies at a meeting held at Muslim League House, Lahore. But, in a late night development on Monday, the two sides agreed to avail another chance to settle the issues. The meeting is scheduled to be held at the Lahore residence of Ch Shujaat today.
Reportedly, the top leadership of the PPP and PML-Q has agreed on the point that the constituencies where the two parties failed to field consensus candidates would be left open.
However, senior PPP leader, Ch Ahmad Mukhtar is not optimistic about any positive outcome of the last round of negotiations between the two parties. “I think efforts seeking to make seat adjustment with PML-Q have failed to bear fruit. The Q-League has already awarded tickets to its potential candidates,” he said while talking to TheNation. He said that PPP-PML-Q election alliance was almost non-existent and the PPP would contest elections on all the seats.
Mukhtar also said that he was determined to contest election from Gujrat. There are also reports that PPP’s Punjab Parliamentary Board headed by Mian Manzoor Wattoo has recommended the name of Ahmad Mukhtar for award of party ticket from NA-105 (Gujrat).
Ch Pervaiz Elahi has already announced to contest election from NA-105.