ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid) Wednesday decided to field joint candidates in the upcoming polls, PML-Q Central Secretary Information Kamil Ali Agha confirmed to TheNation on Wednesday.
As per agreement both the parties would be entitled to nominate their candidates on the seats they won in the general elections year 2008.
Abovementioned decisions were taken in a meeting held at the residence of PML-Q President Ch Shujaat Hussain, and Manzoor Wattoo, PPP Punjab chapter president, who headed the PPP delegation that called on Shujaat to discuss the issues related to seat adjustment and cooperation in the coming elections. Senator Kamil Ali Agha of PML-Q while talking to TheNation said that there were a few seats upon which no decision had been made yet and another meeting was scheduled today (Thursday) for the purpose. He said that it was the first phase that has been completed and now both the parties had entered the second phase of discussion (seat adjustments) where all the remaining matters would be decided.
"Those constituencies also came under discussion where Pakistan Muslim League-N was the winner in general elections of 2008," Agha told, adding that the runners-up would be entitled to field the candidates in the constituencies those were won by PML-N. "Some such constituencies were still under discussion, he added. Elaborating, he said, "if a seat is won by PML-N but the second position was scored by the candidate of PML-Q then it will nominate its candidate to contest election in such constituency, and the PPP will support PML-Q's candidate and vice versa".
He did not mention the seats that were still under debate between both allies, but said that these were the constituencies where both the parties consider that their respective candidates were in a position to win. But soon, he maintained, that issue would be resolved between the parties and clear and final decision be made for all such constituencies.
Replying to a question he said, "It does not matter that some or many existing party members leave the PML-Q folds, and this won't change the decided formula between the two parties.
"The PML-Q will field its candidates on the constituencies won in the last elections on our symbol. It doesn't matter whether those people leave the party. PML-Q's claim on these seats will remain the same as candidates won on party's symbol".   As per a press statement issued by PML-Q, Ch Shujat Hussain and Ch Parvez Elahi on the occasion said that this electoral alliance indicates a new era in the national politics which will establish the tradition of moving together in politics.
The meeting was attended from PML by its President Senator Ch Shujat Hussain, senior central leader and Deputy Prime Minister Ch Parvez Elahi, Central Information Secretary Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Industry Muhammad Basharat Raja, PML Punjab General Secretary Ch Zaheeruddin Khan, Moonis Elahi, Ahmad Yar Heraj, Khushro Bakhtiar and Nasir Mahmud Gill while PPP delegation included PPP Punjab President Mian Manzur Ahmad Wattoo, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Tanvir Ashraf Kaira, Rana Farooq Saeed, Haji Nawaz Khokhar and Haider Zaman Qureshi.
As per another press statement issued by Pakistan Muslim League-Q , it was going to hold its party elections for the province of Khyber Pakhtun Khwa on February 24, 2013. All the provincial party head would be elected in these elections, it stated.