ISLAMABAD: The effects of the recent meeting between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have begun to surface, with both Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) moving toward dialogue over key Punjab-related issues, ARY News reported citing sources.
According to sources, the PPP and PML-N leadership are set to hold an important meeting today to discuss matters concerning the party’s role and grievances in Punjab. The venue and timing of the meeting will be finalized this morning.
Insiders revealed that PPP’s reservations over being sidelined in Punjab and the lack of progress on the agreed power-sharing formula will be taken up during the talks.
Sources said discussions will also focus on issues faced by the PPP in Punjab and possible solutions to ensure smoother coordination between the two coalition partners.
It was further reported that the decision to initiate talks on Punjab-related matters was made during the meeting between the President and Prime Minister earlier this week.
PPP sources added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured President Zardari that all efforts would be made to address the PPP’s concerns regarding the implementation of the Punjab power-sharing arrangement.
The move comes following a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday night, where the two leaders also deliberated on the overall regional situation.
The prime minister briefed the president on his recent visits to Egypt and Malaysia, where he made efforts to promote peace in Gaza.
Both leaders exchanged views on key national priorities and the overall direction of the government’s policies, agreeing to continue political consultations on matters of national importance.
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During the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal and Azam Nazeer Tarar, as well as PM’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah, were also present.
On the other hand, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Senator Sherry Rehman, and Nayyar Bukhari accompanied the president during the meeting.