Pak Prez poll: PML-N, PPP to unite against Imran’s man

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz have agreed to field a joint candidate against Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf party's nominee in the Presidential election to be held on September 4, media reports said on Wednesday.

The decision was taken after the PML-N rejected the PPP nominee Aitzaz Ahsan, a senior party leader and top

lawyer, as the presidential candidate on the grounds that the

latter announced its decision without consulting the Opposition parties.

The PML-N has expressed reservations over the nomination of Ahsan, who had spoken against jailed former prime minister and supreme leader of PML-N Nawaz Sharif and his wife Kulsoom's ailment.

The PPP, led by former Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari also did not vote for PML-N chief Shahbaz Sharif in the race for prime minister's office held on August 18. The PPP'S move also did not go down well with the PML-N, Dawn newspaper reported.

Incumbent Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain's five-year term is due to end on September 9.

The News, quoting sources, reported that it was decided that an All Parties Conference of the Opposition would be convened at the resort town of Murree on August 25 to decide the name of a joint presidential candidate of the Opposition.

The report said the PML-N chief and Opposition leader in the National Assembly Shah- baz Sharif will host conference.

Khan's ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) has nominated Dr Arif Alvi, a 69-year-old dentist, as its Presidential candidate.

Muttahida Majlis-i-amal (MMA) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said he feared that if the Opposition remained divided on naming a joint candidate, it would give a free hand to the ruling PTI to install its nominee as president.

Sources said if the Opposition agrees to file a joint presidential candidate against the government nominee Alvi, it would be tough contest due to numerical strength in both the Houses of the Parliament and as well provincial assemblies, The News reported.

A senior PML-N party leader said if all Opposition parties are united, the difference of votes between the PTI and the Opposition's would hardly be 8 to 10, The Express Tribune reported.

Pakistan's president is elected indirectly by the members of Parliament and the four provincial assemblies.

President Hussain, elected in September 2013, was a nominee of the PML-N led by jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.