Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stepped in to defuse escalating political tensions between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and its coalition partner, the Pakistan Peoples Party, by forming a high-level delegation to engage in dialogue with the PPP leadership.
The move comes amid an intensifying war of words between leaders of the two parties, which has strained relations within the coalition.
According to sources, President Asif Ali Zardari has taken serious notice of recent statements by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and other senior PML-N leaders that have fueled discord between the allies. In response, the president has extended his stay in Nawabshah and summoned a high-level meeting at Zardari House.
A PML-N delegation, comprising Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, reached Nawabshah on Wednesday to meet President Zardari. The meeting, sources said, was scheduled on the prime minister’s directive in an effort to ease mounting tensions between the coalition partners.
The prime minister is reportedly keen to resolve differences between the two sides, particularly over governance matters in Punjab and Sindh. Efforts are also underway to arrange a meeting between Bilawal and Maryam in the near future to help calm provincial-level friction.
Dar and Naqvi are said to be playing key roles in the reconciliation process, while President Zardari is actively working to maintain a functional relationship between the coalition partners.
If the initial talks fail to yield progress, PML-N sources suggest that a top-level meeting involving Nawaz, PM Shehbaz, President Zardari, and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari may be convened to resolve the deadlock.
Party insiders insist that the PML-N remains committed to addressing PPP’s concerns through dialogue and stress that the federal government’s stability is not at risk. The party plans to evaluate the evolving political situation and chart its next steps accordingly.
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The immediate goal, sources added, is to end the ongoing political mudslinging between leaders of both parties and restore an environment conducive to cooperation.
Sources further revealed that delegation-level talks between the two parties are expected to take place in Islamabad in the coming days, with senior leaders from both sides participating. A schedule for the meeting is likely to be finalised soon.
PML-N insiders said that after the Nawabshah meeting, the federal ministers’ team will brief PM Shehbaz on the discussions, who will then update party leader Nawaz Sharif.
Meanwhile, Bilawal has called a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee on October 18 at Bilawal House in Karachi, where key decisions on national politics, party strategy, and current developments are expected.
