Maulana Fazl meets Shehbaz to express gratitude for support

The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) leader Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman said on Sunday that Pakistan Peoples Party paved way for Imran Khan to become prime minister by not voting in the leader of the house election.

The MMA leader was speaking in a press conference at the PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif's Model Town residence after meeting the party's leadership.

In the meeting, the two leaders discussed future strategy regarding the upcoming presidential elections.

Molana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Akram Khan Durrani accompanied the JUI-F chief, while PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and others were present in the meeting.

Fazl said that he has been nominated as presidential candidate by all opposition parties except the PPP.

"We will try to have consensus over a joint opposition candidate," he said.

The join opposition's candidate said that he has cordial relation with the Pakistan Peoples Party leader Asif Ali Zardari, and requested him to withdraw his candidacy for the unity of opposition parties.

"PPP should accept opposition's candidate today for to express unity among them," he said.

Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, the PML-N leader said that the opposition will put its maximum effort for success in the presidential election.

"We will also reach to the political parties who have not agreed to support Fazl," the PML-N leader said.

Opposition parties, PML-N and PPP, are likely to hold a meeting later today to reach a consensus on their candidate for the presidential election.

According to sources, co-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari is resolved to put across a strong case for the party’s nominee for opposition’s candidate for presidential election Aitzaz Ahsan.

A PPP delegation campaigning for the presidential election reached Lahore earlier today.

The delegation includes senior party members including former opposition leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Aitzaz Ahsan, Nayyer Hussain Bokhari, and Qamar Zaman Kaira.

The delegation will hold meetings with PPP’s MNAs and leaders of other parties in Lahore. It will later meet political leaders in the federal capital.

The presidential election will be held on September 4. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has named Arif Alvi as its candidate, while PPP’s candidate is Aitzaz Ahsan. Five parties of the opposition have selected JUI-F leader Rehman as their candidate for the election.

A divide in the opposition has improved the probability of victory of PTI’s candidate.