Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) supremo Asif Ali Zardari held a crucial meeting with Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman on Wednesday amidst the reports that Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q) lawmakers ‘silently’ moved to Lahore ahead of no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The meeting took place at Maulana’s residence. Both the leaders decided to direct their lawmakers not to leave the federal capital in the coming days and stay at Parliament Lodges, MNA Hostel and Sindh House— to ensure their participation in the voting against the PM, it is learnt.

The opposition leaders are concerned on the reports that the legislators from PML-Q left the Parliament Lodges and MNA Hostel and went to Lahore during last couple of days, indicating that Q-League is considering ‘other plans’— although it has indicated its support to the opposition in its efforts to send the PM packing.

Business Recorder tried to contact senior PPP and PDM leaders but they remain tight-lipped on the issue.

A press release issued after Zardari-Maulana meeting simply stated that the PDM and PPP chiefs agreed to “make the no-confidence motion effective” without elaborating any further in this regard.

Sources said that PPP has conveyed to PDM that it would not formally join the opposition’s alliance but would work under its ambit against the no-confidence motion.

Asif Zardari is not in favour of working under the leadership of Maulana and believes that PPP should maintain its separate status in the anti-government campaign, according to insiders.

Separately, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and other opposition leaders also met the PDM chief.

The details of the meetings were not shared in the media amidst the reports that opposition decided to keep the modalities of its anti-government campaign secret.

However, reports suggested that Fazal, Zardari and PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif have quietly asked all of their lawmakers to ensure their availability in the federal capital in the ongoing week and to make arrangements for gathering political workers in the coming days to counter Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI’s) plan to hold a huge political rally in the federal capital on March 27.

This story was first published in Business Recorder on March 17, 2022.