President Asif Ali Zardari discussed the country’s political situation with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Wednesday night amid the continuing spat between federal coalition partners PPP and PML-N.
The PPP and the PML-N’s Punjab leadership have been engaged in a war of words for the past many days over issues ranging from flood compensation to water rights in the context of the Cholistan canals project. The PPP, which is in power in Sindh, has been particularly incensed by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s remarks, whose party is also leading the federal government.
Concerted efforts have been made by leading figures, such as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Zardari, who have stepped in to defuse tensions, with the latter also calling on Naqvi to play his role for a possible rapprochement.
A statement issued from the President’s Secretariat late at night said Zardari discussed national and global issues with Foreign Minister Dar, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Naqvi in Nawabshah.
“The leaders discussed matters pertaining to the overall security and political situation in the country, as well as recent regional and international developments,” the statement said.
It added that FM Dar, who recently attended the United Nations General Assembly session and held several interactions with foreign dignitaries, briefed the president on his engagements and shared insights on pressing global and regional issues.
Earlier, a post on X by the PPP announced party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s move to call a meeting of the party’s top brass.
“Important decisions regarding national politics will be made in the meeting of the PPP’s central executive committee,“it said.
A day earlier, PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman warned the coalition ally of difficulties in the Senate without her party’s “clear support”. Questioned about the PPP sitting on the opposition benches, Rehman said the issue would be decided by the central executive committee since it was not a small decision to take and the party did not want to destabilise the government.
When asked whether the party would no longer be part of any legislative process, the PPP leader maintained that the coalition partner should not “expect us to come and manage your houses and promote your business”.
PPP, PML-N should resolve issues, move forward: Rana Sanaullah
Meanwhile, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has urged the federal coalition partners to resolve their political differences and “move forward” from the row between the Sindh and Punjab governments.
Addressing the matter in an interview on Samaa TV show ‘Nadeem Malik Live’ a day ago, Sanaullah said: “The current political leadership … should sit down at the table and resolve their political issues, and by resolving them, they should create the path forward”.
He said that ’’there will be no interference from that side,“ apparently referring to the establishment, adding that the quarter would instead “provide help” if politicians resolved their issues.
Questioned whether the matter actually concerned recent speculation about Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir becoming the president, Sanaullah said the issue had already been rubbished by “the relevant quarters”. He added that the army chief “has no personal agenda and this talk is completely wrong that he has any [other] intention or agenda”.
The senator added that the army chief would “go home” upon retirement and “he has absolutely no intention of coming to the Prime Minister’s House or President House”.
The army chief has also personally dismissed speculation about changes in the presidency and premiership as the work of elements conspiring against the ruling setup.
Speculation was rampant in July that President Zardari may step down, potentially paving the way for the army chief to assume the country’s presidency.
Reports on social media had claimed that work was underway to replace the current parliamentary system with a presidential form of government. Some reports had also claimed that President Zardari had set one condition for his exit — a key role for his son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in the new dispensation.
The rumours were summarily addressed and rubbished by Naqvi twice and by military spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry as “nonsense”.
Additional reporting by Irfan Sadozai and Nadir Guramani.
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