Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Saturday that the PPP and the Awami National Party (ANP) were not discussed during a meeting of the opposition alliance earlier today, adding that it was not a topic for which more time could be spared.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad after an hours-long meeting — flanked by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz and other prominent PDM figures — Rehman said: "We didn't discuss anything in this regard. They [PPP and ANP] are not with us, that is why we didn't focus [on them]."

He was responding to a question from a reporter on whether the PDM deliberated on the PPP and the ANP rejoining the movement. The PDM chief added that the two parties had time to inform the alliance of their intentions.

"But the PDM can't spend anymore time on this topic in future sessions," he said.

When Maryam was questioned about PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif's stance regarding the topic, she replied: "His stance was the same as the one Maulana sahab expressed in front of you today.

"Don't drag out a non-issue again and again and try to make it into something. We have said what we wanted to say about that," she said.

PDM rejects electoral reforms, announces schedule for rallies

During the press conference, Rehman also said the PDM had rejected the government's "biased" electoral reforms and termed it a "scheme for pre-poll rigging". He also announced a fresh wave of anti-government protests in the country.

"The PDM has demanded that the Election Commission of Pakistan, which is constitutionally responsible for conducting free and fair polls, should immediately call a session of all political parties to devise a package on electoral reforms which can be presented in parliament."

The meeting also decided that legal action would be taken against the "PTI government's corruption and unconstitutional measures" for which a team of legal experts was being formed with Advocate Azam Nazeer Tarar as its convener and Advocate Kamran Murtaza as its co-convener, he said.

The PDM chief also announced the schedule for public rallies in the upcoming months, beginning with a demonstration in Swat on July 4. This will be followed by a rally in Karachi on July 29 and then another in Islamabad on August 14, he said, adding that the alliance would also show solidarity with the Kashmiris and the Palestinians.

Rehman said that the PML-N will host a seminar for all political parties on the upcoming budget, the responsibility of which had been given to Shehbaz. "The purpose of the seminar will be to give a tough time to the government and to establish unity on the budget," he said.

"The PDM strictly condemns the attacks on journalists and media persons, and expresses complete solidarity with the community," he said, adding that the PDM leadership would also visit the homes of the affected journalists to express their sympathy, naming Asad Ali Toor and Absar Alam in particular.

Rehman also hit out at the government's operations against encroachments and alleged that in the name of removing encroachments, the properties and livelihoods of shop owners were being taken over to "create plazas".

"This situation is unacceptable and the PDM will stand side-by-side with the oppressed."

Commenting on the regional security situation, the PDM chief said that parliament should be taken into confidence and a session should be called where facts should be provided to the nation.

No single party can dictate PDM: Shehbaz

On Friday, Shehbaz had met Rehman in an apparent bid to keep the conglomerate intact. The meeting took place amid media reports that there is a rift between two PML-N groups, one being led by the party president and the other by the daughter of party’s supreme leader.

Sources said Shehbaz, who was accompanied by Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah and Marriyum Aurangzeb during his visit to Rehman's residence, also floated the idea of a grand dialogue between the government and the opposition to address basic problems confronting the country and its citizens. However, senior party leaders Maryam Nawaz and ex-PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi were not part of the PML-N delegation.

While responding to a question at a joint press with the Maulana after the meeting, Shehbaz said it was not the prerogative of a single (opposition) party to include or exclude any other parties (from the alliance).

The PDM president said the PPP should accept the stance of “nine PDM member parties” and should not try to impose its own point of view. “PPP considers only itself wise and not the nine other parties in the alliance,” he added.