This means that both the major opposition parties — the PPP and PTI — have separately announced their candidates: Mian Raza Rabbani (PPPP) and Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmad (PTI).
Meanwhile, the PML-N has shortlisted Sartaj Aziz, Mamnoon Hussain and Justice (retd) Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui as its candidates.
“The PTI had shown an interest in the PPPP proposal to field a joint candidate, who should ideally have apolitical credentials, but then surprisingly, they unilaterally announced their own candidate,” said a senior PTI leader while talking to The News here.
The PTI leader explained that the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah had contacted PTI’s deputy parliamentary leader in the House, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, for naming a joint candidate of the opposition parties. However, the PPPP announced Rabbani as its candidate for the presidential poll.
While PTI announced its candidate on Saturday, PPPP had already named its veteran leader Senator Mian Raza Rabbani a day earlier as its presidential candidate.
Similarly, the leadership of the PML-N had approached PTI too to support its candidate. However as things stand PTI decided to name its own candidate.
“We know, we can’t win the election, but we want to show everyone that we are an independent party and will not compromise on our principled position on any matter or issue,” asserted a PTI leader.
Sources said so far the PTI has not approached the PPPP to get the support for their candidate Justice (retd) Wajihuddin but they indicated that it would approach other parties to gain their support for their nominee.
Online adds: Federal Minister Khawaja Asif has contacted leader of the opposition Khursheed Shah on telephone and discussed the upcoming presidential polls and spoken about the three candidates shortlisted by the PML-N.
It is learnt that Khursheed Shah said that he would respond after consulting his party leadership.
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