LAHORE: During a meeting between the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) delegation and members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) on Wednesday, the two sides agreed on a joint course of action for electoral reforms, DawnNews reported.
The meeting was held at the residence of PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.
The PTI delegation comprised of Vice President Shah Mahmood Qureshi, President Javed Hashmi and General Secretary Jehangir Tareen.
Whereas Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Mushahid Hussain and Kamil Ali Agha represented the PML-Q.
The meeting comes at a time when the PML-Q and the PTI have are planning to form a grand opposition alliance against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.
Earlier, Shujaat had also announced the PML-Q's support for the protest of the PTI against the alleged election rigging on May 11.
He had said that after the May election last year, the PTI had been raising a voice against rigging in election, adding that even after a passage of one year, the election tribunals were unable to decide the election petitions of candidates.
Later, speaking to media representatives, Shujaat said those who had won in the election were also saying that the polls had been rigged.
He added that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should step down voluntarily.
Meanwhile, Qureshi said the PTI had presented its viewpoint to the PML-Q leadership over rigging in the May 11 election, adding that the latter completely agreed with its stance.
He said the existing electoral laws needed to be reformed.
Timing of PTI protest
The timing of the PTI’s anti-rigging drive a year after the elections were held has left most guessing about Imran Khan’s real objectives behind his decision at a time when Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) also plans to simultaneously launch its protest campaign across several major cities against the ‘stolen public mandate’ and when the government’s relations with the military are believed to be not the most cordial.
There’s also no dearth of people who see a hidden agenda supported by forces ‘averse to seeing democratic rule flourish’ in the country behind the decision of the two parties to start protests. Some analysts argue that it is but natural for people in these circumstances to have suspicions about the intentions of the PTI and suspect it of supporting the agenda of forces not known for their love for civilian rule.
Read full analysis here.