ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif summoned Cabinet and ruling coalition’s meeting today to discuss political situation. “Cabinet will mull over political situation and matters related to holding elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces,” sources said. Cabinet will also mull over issues that surfaced during consultative process among political parties.

Coalition huddle will also consult over election and consultative process with various political parties. Meeting will likely to be given briefing on economic situation and contacts with International Monetary Fund over bailout package, sources said.

Parliamentary leaders of ruling coalition will attend session, according to sources. “Detailed consultations are expected in meeting over political situation. PM will consult with allies over talks with PTI. It is to be noted here that government has assured Supreme Court over holding talks with opposition over elections in two provinces on April 26.

The sources privy to the matter said that the meeting of the ruling alliance will be held at the Prime Minister's House at 12:30 pm. The participants of the meeting would “discuss the current political situation and devise a future strategy”, the sources added.

The prime minister is expected to take all the allies on board over the expected dialogues with PTI on the election date. On April 21, PPP senior leader Qamar Zaman Kaira confirmed that the ruling alliance had made contact with the PTI on Thursday (April 20). "PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq spoke to [PTI’s] Asad Qaiser yesterday at noon” to end the ongoing political crisis in the country, Kaira said.

The ruling allies hit a snag over holding talks with the PTI on April 18, sources told Geo News, after Jamaat-e-Islami's (JI) bid to bring both sides to the negotiation table. The PDM coalition partners met in Islamabad after PM Shehbaz convened a meeting on the country's political situation and the JI's negotiation efforts.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari stressed holding dialogue with the opposition, with Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Balochistan National Party, Balochistan Awami Party, Chaudhry Salik, and Mohsin Dawar backing him, sources said. Bilawal said closing the door for talks is against his party's principles and "undemocratic".-

Published in The Daily National Courier, April, 26 2023

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