PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: Sources inside Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) revealed that party leadership has decided to support its coalition partners for the seats of chairman and deputy chairman in the Upper House.

PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has invited the representatives of opposition parties in the Senate over a meeting in order to develop a consensus on filling the two important slots of the Upper House.

The meeting is scheduled to be held at Zardari House in the federal capital on Monday.

Earlier, Zardari had invited the Chaudhry brothers — Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi — of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid to meet him on Saturday evening. But later the meeting was cancelled and now a joint meeting of opposition parties will be held on Monday, sources added.

Zardari also held meeting with senior PPP leader Mian Manzoor Wattoo and other party leaders in this regard.

Talking to Dawn, PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that schedule of meeting with different political leaders is being considered including Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) for filling the important slot of Senate chairman and deputy chairman.

Also read: PPP leader accuses PML-N of horse trading

Awami National Party (ANP) has also confirmed the invitation for consultation with PPP. The former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and leader of ANP, Amir Haider Khan Hoti, while talking to DAWN, said his party has received the invite from Zardari and ANP would participate in the consultative meeting.

Hoti said that leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Khwaja Saad Rafiq, has also approached ANP for consultation over the seat of Senate chairman and deputy chairman. The ANP leader, however, ruled out any support for Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

Consultation by PML-N

At the PM House, Prime Minister Nawaz Ssharif held meeting with senior party leaders over the election of Senate chairman and deputy chairman.

Government’s spokesman and Federal Information Minister Senator Pervez Rashid told DAWN that no decision has been made by PML-N for the position of chairman and deputy chairman senate.

He said consultations are going on with various political parties on the matter and final decision would be made after completion of this process.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with National Party chief Hasil Banzenjo and ANP Chief Asfand Yar Wali and congratulated them over their victory in Upper House.

Read more: Senate election and its set of controversies

Federal Minister Khawaja Saad rafique contacted MQM leaders and Perevz Rashid contacted Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq and sought their support over election of Senate chairman and deputy chairman.

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Imran Khan had claimed that his party members were offered millions of rupees which they refused.

Imran said, “We will not vote for either PML-N or PPP in the coming vote for Senate chairmanship as both these parties are corrupt. They have made politics a business enterprise.”

He also mentioned that Asif Ali Zardari had spent millions of rupees buying four seats in KP and asked how an independent representative won a Senate poll from Balochistan.