PPP, PML-N to field joint candidates for upcoming by-elections

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) have decided to field joint candidates for the forthcoming by-elections scheduled to be held on October 14.

A meeting, attended by high-profile leaders from both parties, was held on Wednesday at the Parliament House in Islamabad, The Express Tribune reported.

Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Sanaullah, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry were some of the PML-N leaders in attendance, while Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf Khursheed Shah and Qamar Zaman Kaira accounted for the PPP delegation.

Addressing the media following the meet, PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari said that the "fruitful" decision was agreed upon by senior leaders of both the former ruling parties, adding that other parties were also being approached for alliances, reported Dawn.

"The PML-N has agreed to support the PPP candidates contesting from Karachi," PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said.

This comes in the back of a fallout between the opposition parties, most recently because of the PPP nominating Aitzaz Ahsan as their Presidential candidate instead of nominating a joint candidate last month.

The Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led party had also refused to vote for PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in the Prime Ministerial election. They called for the PML-N to replace their candidate, citing controversial comments made against former President Asif Ali Zardari made by Nawaz while campaigning for the elections.

The upcoming by-elections on October 14 will be contested on 11 National Assembly seats, 13 Punjab Assembly seats, nine Khyber Pakhtunkhwa seats, and two seats each from the Balochistan and Sindh Assemblies.