ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will consult Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari before deciding whether to attend an upcoming multiparty conference being organised by the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP).
A TTAP delegation led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan visited the PPP Central Secretariat in Islamabad on Tuesday and formally invited the party to participate in the proposed conference. The PPP said the invitation would be conveyed to Bilawal, after which the opposition alliance would be informed of his position.
The delegation met PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and briefed him on the objectives and proposed agenda of the multiparty gathering. Discussions also covered the political situation, constitutional supremacy, democratic institutions and the importance of maintaining dialogue among political parties.
Bukhari said the PPP considered political consultation and engagement on constitutional and democratic issues important.
Speaking after the meeting, Gohar Khan said the delegation was awaiting the PPP’s response and emphasised the importance of political parties maintaining communication and working towards consensus on issues confronting the country.
The TTAP delegation included Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Senator Zeeshan Akhunzada and TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Yousafzai.
The proposed conference is part of the opposition alliance’s efforts to bring several political parties together for consultations on issues including the political situation, law and order, the economy and the question of creating new provinces. TTAP has been holding meetings with other parties to finalise the conference’s agenda, date and venue.
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has already agreed to participate in the proposed gathering, while TTAP representatives have indicated that other political parties will also be approached.
The development comes amid preparations for the PTI’s planned October 4 protest and march towards Islamabad. TTAP has said it will participate in the protest, although the alliance had previously expressed reservations over the decision to change its date.
The PPP’s response to the invitation will depend on consultations within the party and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s decision. The development nevertheless marks a fresh round of political contact between the PPP and opposition groups ahead of the proposed multiparty conference.
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