ISLAMABAD - Abrar Saeed - PPP and PML-N meeting was once again deferred as both the parties were busy doing their homework on thrashing out differences on host of issues including recomposition of Parliamentary Commission for creation of new provinces and caretaker set-up to hold next general elections.
Leader of Opposition in Senate and central leader of PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar while talking to media persons in Parliament House on Wednesday evening said that they were not told about the new date of meeting by PPP and quickly added that they were ready for dialogue with PPP on all issues and they would sit with them with open heart and open mind.
Parliamentary sources informed that the negotiations between PPP and PML-N were deferred due to the wide differences between the two sides on the time schedule of the next general elections, as PML-N leadership wanted holding of early elections somewhere in November or December this year while PPP was adamant to hold the elections on completion of the mandated term sometime in the beginning of April or last week of March next year.
Sources further informed that the current impasse in the negotiations came due to signals coming from the PPP to hold Local Bodies elections in Sindh before the general elections whereas PML-N was not in favour of holding LB polls before the general elections and termed the move a tactic to delay the general elections.
Sources further informed that the MQM delegation which held meeting with PML-N leadership in Punjab House on Tuesday evening the former had extended the request to latter not to oppose holding of Local Bodies elections before the general elections. MQM also asked the PML-N leadership to also hold LB polls ahead of next general elections in Punjab.
PML-N leadership deferred the meeting with PPP and now the matter of Local Bodies polls would also be included in the agenda list when both parties would sit together to narrow down their differences on host of issues including the formation of new provinces and evolving consensus on caretaker set up and finalising the dates for the next general elections.
Sources in the PML-N informed that the party leadership was quite perturbed over the PPP hasty move to plan Local Bodies elections in Sindh ahead of next general elections for which they are finalising the draft of Local Bodies Law which would be introduced through ordinance in the province to avoid lengthy debate on it in Sindh Assembly.
Sources further said that PML-N leadership suspected that the move was aimed at delaying the next general elections and they would now exert pressure on the Punjab Government to also follow the suit primarily to hoodwink the masses from real issues.
Parliamentary sources said that the differences between the two main political parties were widening and evolving consensus on some of the major issues seemed a far cry.