PML-N and PPP discuss NA-249 by-election

KARACHI: After recent cracks in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Saturday sought support of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for an upcoming by-election on a Karachi National Assembly seat for its candidate, former finance minister Miftah Ismail.

The proposal came from the top leadership of the PML-N when former prime minister and senior party leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi chose to take up the matter in a meeting with PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari at Bilawal House where other leaders of the two parties were also present.

A brief statement issued from Bilawal House after the meeting said that the two leaders discussed the NA-249 by-election.

The seat fell vacant after Faisal Vawda of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf resigned from the assembly for his Senate seat. In the 2018 general elections, Mr Vawda defeated PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif with a narrow margin.

The fresh contact between senior leaders of the two parties came as the first development after recent reports of differences within the PDM. The cracks within the ranks of the 10-party opposition alliance had become visible when its leadership announced postponement of their March 26 anti-government long march due to differences over the issue of resignations.