LAHORE:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at Jati Umra, where key issues regarding the party and governance were discussed.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz were also present.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister briefed Nawaz about his recent visit to Malaysia and conveyed a goodwill message from Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
He said bilateral relations between Pakistan and Malaysia, especially in the economic sphere, were “reaching new heights”.
Shehbaz also briefed the party leader on his upcoming visit to Egypt and discussed the country’s internal and regional security situation, including border tensions with Afghanistan.
While such interactions between the two Sharifs have become a regular weekly affair, Sunday’s meeting took place in a politically tense environment as the PML-N-led federal government faces multiple internal and external challenges.
Among them, the upcoming elections for the post of chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have emerged as a major political test for the ruling party.
According to some sources, the establishment wants to prevent the candidate of PTI founder Sohail Afridi from reaching the top spot in the province, a task which would have been entrusted to the PML-N leadership.
In its bid to gather the required numbers, the party would approach PTI lawmakers and, if necessary, would even be ready to consider supporting JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for the post.
In addition to political maneuvering, the government continues to face an increase in terrorism and skirmishes on the border with Afghanistan.
