Pak Prez poll: PML-N, PPP to field joint candidate against Imran's nominee

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 Shahbaz Sharif will host conference.