Former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday telephoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and thanked them for their support for the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate for Senate elections from Islamabad Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani which led to his victory against PTI’s candidate Finance Minister Dr Hafeez Shaikh, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Asif Zardari said that a well-thought-out strategy was chalked out to defeat the government candidate Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. “Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) own members are in touch with us since they want to quit the party,” the former president claimed in the phone call to the PML-N Quaid.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that Gilani’s success was PDM’s success. “The same alliance of the opposition parties would send the PTI government home,” he expressed the hope. 

Sources say that the three leaders asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign immediately and hold fresh elections. 

The troika also discussed the PDM’s future strategy, including the long march. 

Asif Zardari, on the occasion, said that the opposition parties would nominate their candidate for the seat of Senate chairman after consultations with each other.