A rift within the 11-party union for an anti-government campaign titled Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) surfaced over by-election in KP.

The Awami National Party (ANP) fielded its candidate for PK-63 by-election, although the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Qaumi Watten Party (QWP) and Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI) backed the candidate of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said after a party meeting last week that the PDM parties would support each other in the by-elections and defeat the government candidates. “We will bring joint candidates against the government,” he said.

By-polls for Sindh Assembly’s PS-43 (Sanghar III) and PS-88 (Malir II) and Balochistan Assembly’s PB-20 (Pishin III) will be held on February 16, while the voters in NA-45 (Kurram I) and NA-75 (Sialkot IV) and Punjab Assembly’s PP-51 (Gujranwala I) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s PK-63 (Nowshera III) will elect their representatives on February 19.