ISLAMABAD: Islamabad witnessed a flurry of meetings on Thursday as the PPP government kicked into action to avert the PPP-PML-N divorce in Punjab that the PML-N has been threatening.In the evening, Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif held a detailed meeting with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. The meeting was held as media reports intensified, predicting that the PML-N will, in its meeting on Friday, decide to expel the PPP from the coalition government in the Punjab as the first step in an anti-government campaign.

The two-hour deliberations, according to insiders, were focussed on the PML-N’s 10-point reforms agenda, the delayed accountability bill, on which the two parties do not see eye to eye and NRO-related issues.

Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh also joined the talks later and briefed the meeting about the prospects of the implementation of all the 10 points of the agenda, Dawn has learnt.

He highlighted the steps the government had taken to meet the PML-N deadline of Feb 23, pointing out that the implementation of everything in time was not possible.

The PML-N delegation, which also included the Leader of Opposition in National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, and head of PML-N negotiating team Senator Ishaq Dar, was apparently not willing to commit anything. It told the prime minister that it would communicate the government’s views to the party leadership, which is due to meet in Islamabad on Friday to take a final decision.

However, those privy to the meeting told Dawn that the PML-N team expressed its dismay over the failure of the government to implement the 10-point agenda. On the other hand, the prime minister reminded the PML-N leaders that the government had sincerely worked to implement not only the party’s agenda but had also implemented a better part of the Charter of Democracy in the last three years.

Mr Gilani, it is said, appealed to the main opposition party to shun confrontation that had in the past harmed democracy and democratic institutions. This much was also clear from the official handout issued after the meeting which said that the prime minister told the PML-N leadership that “supreme national interests demand sagacity as well as continuance of engagements through dialogue among all the political forces of the country to provide a solid base for strengthening democratic institutions”.

After his interaction with the PML-N, the prime minister went to the Presidency and updated President Asif Ali Zardari.

After the prime minister apprised the president, Dawn has learnt that the two decided the PPP would continue with its policy of reconciliation and try its best to persuade the N-League to not part ways in Punjab.

Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh also called on the president and brought the latter up to date on the progress made so far on the reforms agenda set out by the PML-N.

However, it seems that the government is waiting to see what the PML-N will decide in its Friday meeting before formulating its own strategy.

Mr Zardari is due to leave for Kuwait on Friday and will not be around when the PML-N makes its ‘final’ decision.

A day earlier on Wednesday, the prime minister had held a round of meetings with coalition partners, including Awami National Party, MQM, PML-F and those belonging to Fata to shore up support for his government’s stand on the dialogue with the PML-N.