ISLAMABAD: Presi­dent Asif Ali Zardari held a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday, where both leaders agreed to move forward with legal reforms and make decisions thro­ugh consultations with all political stakeholders.

The meeting took place amid an environment of acrimony between the PPP and PML-N, the two major parties in the ruling coalition.

Last week, key leaders of PPP expre­ssed a “lack of confidence” in the federal government during a meeting chaired by the party’s chairman, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.

Earlier, Mr Bhutto-Zardari expressed frustration over the “disrespect” felt by his party due to unmet agreements between the two parties.

Following the scathing remarks, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif constituted a committee, headed by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, to engage with miffed PPP leaders and address their concerns.

In this background, the meeting at the presidency is being seen as an effort by the two parties’ bigwigs to build bridges and hammer out the differences.

The meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and MNA Syed Naveed Qamar, a President House press release said.

PM Shehbaz expressed his best wishes for President Zardari’s health during the meeting.

As per the press release, discussions centred around the country’s overall political, economic, and security situation.

Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working together for development and prosperity.

They also discussed legislative matters in parliament in detail.

President Zardari assured PM Shehbaz of his continued support and cooperation for the country’s progress and stability. How far these assurances will go in alleviating PPP’s concerns, voiced vocally by Mr Bhutto-Zardari, is yet to be seen.

According to a source, the fallout between the two parties was so significant that at one stage, the PPP considered quitting the ruling coalition only months after the general elections.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2024