Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf shakes hands with Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. — File Photo by APP

LAHORE, Feb 14: The deadlock on election symbol and high-profile seats adjustment between the PPP and PML-Q persisted as their fourth-round meeting for the purpose remained inconclusive here on Thursday evening.

Both the PPP and PML-Q are sticking to their stance of contesting general elections on their symbols – arrow and bicycle – respectively.

Besides, no decision has yet been taken on the high-profile seats the PML-Q and PPP stalwarts are interested to contest simultaneously in Punjab.

Sources informed Dawn that both parties could not finalise candidates on 20 or so National Assembly seats won either by the PPP or the PML-Q in Punjab.

Similarly, on Thursday they discussed the potential candidates on the provincial assembly seats of 10 or so districts. They will meet again to finalise candidates on the remaining districts. The sources said both the parties had yet to finalise the candidates on the seats won by the PML-N, which would be a real test for the coalition partners. Deputy Prime Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, MPA Moonis Elahi, Senator Kamil Ali Agha, Basharat Raja, Ahmed Yar Hiraj and Chaudhry Zaheeruddin represented the PML-Q while federal minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nazar Gondal and Manzoor Wattoo, Haider Zaman Qureshi, Tanvir Ashraf Kaira and Farooq Saeed were from the PPP present in Thursday’s meeting.

“There is no deadlock between the PPP and PML-N over the election symbol and high profile seats. It has been decided in principle that the decision on them (election symbol and high profile seats) will be taken by the leadership of both the parties,” Chaudhry Moonis Elahi replied to Dawn’s query after the meeting.

“We are working smoothly and hopefully in coming days we will announce joint candidates,” he said. “The candidates for the NA seats have almost been finalised while the discussion on the provincial assembly seats is underway,” Mr Moonis said.

Qamar Zaman Kaira and Kamil Ali Agha said: “We will give our recommendations to the leadership after concluding seat-adjustment talks. Kaira said both parties were in agreement to field potential candidates to get better results.