Delegations of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Awami National Party (ANP), the Aftab Sherpao-led Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), the National Party and the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) are attending the conference.Meanwhile, the opposition’s aspirations were dealt a blow hours before the meeting started, as the Balochistan Shahbaz during the meeting urged the opposition to unite in order to "take the nation out of their hardship". He said the nation is reeling under the "anti-people" budget presented by the government and the opposition should strive together to make the budget unsuccessful.
The Balochistan National Party (Mengal), which had been attending opposition meetings despite sitting on the treasury benches, decided against attending the MPC on Wednesday. In a written message sent to Maulana Fazlur Rehman, BNP-M chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal asked the opposition to consider his party's recommendations. The Jamaat-i-Islami, which is sitting on the opposition benches, had already distanced itself from the MPC.
Mengal today led a delegation of his party to a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan. No details of the meeting were immediately available.
Prior to the MPC, the parliamentary parties of the opposition held a separate meeting inside the National Assembly to formulate their strategy for the budget session.
Earlier, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz met her uncle, Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif, at the Ministers Enclave to discuss matters related to the opposition moot.
Speaking to reporters in the parliament, Shahbaz said the opposition would make every effort to make the MPC called by Maulana Fazl a success.
Prominent among those attending the MPC being chaired by Maulana Fazl are: Shahbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ayaz Sadiq and Raja Zafarul Haq from the PML-N; Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Yousuf Raza Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Raza Rabbani, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Farhatullah Babar from the PPP; Asfandyar Wali Khan, Mian Iftikhar and Ameer Haider Khan Hoti of the Awami National Party; National Party President Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo; Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai; and Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, among others.
The decision to hold the MPC had been made by the leaders of 11 opposition parties during a well-attended Iftar dinner hostedby Bilawal in Islamabad last month. The dinner was also attended by Maryam and Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz.
In the meeting, Maulana Fazl had called for launching a full-fledged anti-government movement soon after Eidul Fitr, saying that they “are already too late”. But his proposal was not warmly received by the PPP and the PML-N.National Party-Mengal (BNP-M), an important coalition member of the ruling PTI, decided against attending the event.Reports suggest that BNP-M chief Akhtar Mengal took the decision after being invited for a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday afternoon.
Another major party missing from the meeting is the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), whose chief Sirajul Haq earlier turned down a personal invitation by Maulana Fazl.
The APC’s agenda includes chalking out a strategy to prevent the government from having the budget for the new fiscal year passed in its present form. The opposition parties will also decide a schedule of rallies to be held across the country as part of the anti-government movement.
The MNAs included Agha Hassan Baloch, Muhammad Hashim, Muhammad Akhtar Mengal, Professor Shehnaz Baloch and Dr Jahanzeb Jamaldini.
Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak, Deputy Speaker Muhammad Qasim Khan, Adviser of PM Muhammad Shehzad Arbab and Special Asssitant, Nadeem Afzal Chan were also present in the meeting.
