PDM to hammer out thorny issues on Jan 2.

ISLAMABAD -- An important meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will be held in Lahore on January 2 in which the mainstream opposition leadership would ponder over contentious issues related to its ongoing anti-government campaign, sources told The News on Friday.

'The upcoming PDM meeting will focus on four basic issues including by-elections, Senate elections, resignations from the assemblies and a long march on Islamabad,' sources said. The meeting will be attended by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and leaders of other religious and regional parties. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari would attend the meeting through video link.

Sources say there are different viewpoints among the mainstream opposition parties on important political issues due to which the PDM is yet to come up with a clear-cut strategy in the current political situation. 'The PPP will definitely press the opposition parties to participate in both by-elections and Senate elections. On the other hand, the JUI-F is not in favour of the suggestion to participate in by-elections at a time when the opposition parties are receiving resignations from their lawmakers,' sources said.

They said the JUI-F was also of the view that if the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) succeeded in getting majority seats and electing its own Senate Chairman, it would continue to influence national politics even if its government in the Centre remained intact or was toppled by the opposition alliance. A senior PML-N...