LAHORE– The leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chaudhry Parvez Elahi met informally on Tuesday at the home of the former defense minister Pervez Khattak.
The former chief minister of Punjab visited Mr. Khattak at home and expressed his condolences for the loss of his wife. Former federal minister Moonis Elahi did the same over the phone. The PML-N leaders Ayaz Sadiq and Khawaja Saad Rafique met Mr. Elahi when they visited Parvez Khattak to express their condolences for the loss of his wife. Chaudhry and Mr. Rafique Mr. Elahi extended their hands to one another. Mr. Sadiq gave Mr. Elahi a hug as well. Mr. Elahi and Mr. Sadiq also whispered in each other’s ears during the unofficial meeting.
The political leaders talked about the solution to take the country out of the quagmire. Mr Rafique, while talking to former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, said, “We are in touch with you. I heard PTI has changed names.”
Mr Elahi said, “The caretaker government period has ended. We have filed petitions regarding Punjab and KP. All the talk is going on about how all the political parties respect and honour the Supreme Court so that the elections can be held simultaneously.”
The political leaders suggested that the revival of the Punjab and KP assemblies could play a role in terms of addressing the crisis and also in the date of the upcoming elections, adding that after the end of the caretaker government, a new crisis had emerged.
“If the assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are restored, the way to sit at the negotiation table can be paved,” the political leaders added.
During the informal meeting, the political leaders also suggested that both provincial assemblies be restored simultaneously for the elections in October.
The government and the opposition should review the proposal so that the issues can be resolved later on at the negotiating table.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had summoned a meeting of the coalition parties for consultation on prevailing political situation as the Supreme Court is set to resume hearing on petition seeking simultaneous elections in the country on Thursday (April 27).
The meeting will be held on Wednesday and all parliamentary leaders of the coalition parties are expected to attend it at the Prime Minister’s House. The premier would hold consultation regarding dialogue with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Punjab elections.
Before Eidul Fitr, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar had given the political parties a week to develop a consensus on the date for holding national and provincial elections simultaneously.
The apex court had also directed them to submit a progress report on April 27 about the meeting of political leaders scheduled to be held on April 26.
The bench had issued the directives while hearing petitions seeking elections across the country on the same day, a key demand by the coalition government. However, the PTI is calling for snap polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where it had dissolved the assemblies earlier this year.
