ABDUL RASHEED AZAD

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and senior leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and other opposition parties will attend the all-parties conference (APC) called by Emir Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday (today) to deliberate on the next course of action for the anti-government campaign.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has decided to participate in the APC, said Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, the spokesman for the chairman PPP.

The JUI-F chief called the opposition moot last week to deliberate on the future course of action against the government. The JUI-F chief since July 25, 2018 election has urged the opposition parties not to accept the election results and resign from assemblies and demand fresh election.

However, the plan to block major thoroughfares of the country did not last long and the party then decided to approach the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

According to the JUI-F officials, leadership of nine opposition parties have so far been invited to chalk out a strategy against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Fazl had telephoned opposition leaders, including Bilawal and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal and had invited them to attend the APC.

However, Vice-President PML-N Maryam Nawaz is not likely to attend the APC, according to JUI-F spokesperson who was assigned to send invitation to the leaders of the opposition parties and give details to media.

The JUI-F chief telephoned Bilawal and General Secretary PML-N Ahsan Iqbal to discuss the political situation in the country, especially after the ‘Azadi March.’

According to a PPP spokesperson, the PPP chairman decided to join the APC. “A PPP delegation comprising senior party leaders led by Bilawal will attend the conference,” said the spokesperson. Khokhar said that Bilawal will lead the party delegation in the APC and present his party’s stance on the opposition’s campaign against the government.

The JUI-F chief recently started the ‘Azadi March’ series of protests on October 27 from Karachi and reached Islamabad on November 1, where the protesters stayed for two weeks. During the protest, the JUI-F demanded Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign which was rejected by the Premier.

The protest started with a weeks-long sit-in in the federal capital. The sit-in was eventually called off and the opposition parties, led by JUI-F, moved onto ‘Plan B.’