NAWABSHAH: As political tensions between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) continue to escalate, top leaders from both parties have begun behind-the-scenes efforts to defuse the situation.
President Asif Ali Zardari held a high-level meeting in Nawabshah on Thursday with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. The meeting comes amid growing discord between the ruling coalition partners over contentious issues such as flood relief allocations and water rights related to the Cholistan canals.
The PPP, which governs Sindh, has taken strong exception to recent remarks made by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. Sources within the party describe the comments as “provocative” and damaging to inter-provincial cooperation.
In response, both President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have initiated backchannel efforts to restore political harmony. During the Nawabshah meeting, Zardari reportedly asked Interior Minister Naqvi to facilitate dialogue between party leaderships to prevent further deterioration in relations.
A statement issued by the President’s Secretariat confirmed the meeting, noting that the leaders discussed “the overall security and political situation in the country,” along with key regional and international developments.
Dar, who recently returned from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, briefed the president on his diplomatic engagements and highlighted pressing global issues impacting Pakistan.
Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has summoned a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) to deliberate on the emerging political situation. “Important decisions regarding national politics will be made,” read a post from the party on X (formerly Twitter).
As tensions threaten to strain the federal coalition, all eyes are now on the PPP’s upcoming CEC meeting, where the party is expected to outline its future course of action.
