ISLAMABAD - Volatile political situation is awaiting Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif who will be landing back tomorrow (July 29) after spending almost a week in Saudi Arabia where he performed Umera and met top Saudi officials.
Sources in the government informed that the prime minister would offer Eid prayers in Saudi Arabia today (Monday) and a day later would fly back home on Tuesday.
Although media remained abuzz with rumours about the premier’s visit to Saudi Arabia yet the government officials termed it a private visit, mainly aimed at performing Umera along with his family members.
The premier did meet top Saudi government functionaries but these were mere courtesy calls and no officials business came under discussion, a source in the prime minister’s media cell informed The Nation.
Sources in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) informed that on his return the PM would be meeting the top leadership of various political parties to have their input on various important issues including the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan Agency.
To a question, the sources said that Premier Sharif would likely meet Imran Khan during the upcoming session of the National Assembly and would formally invite him for negotiations to sort out PTI’s concerns regarding the flaws in the prevalent electoral system in the country.
Sources further informed that Premier Sharif would be seeking the support of the political leadership both in government and opposition about the impending threats to the national security due to the ongoing operation against the militants, which demanded of the political leadership to play their role in evolving cohesion and unity at national level.
Sources aware of the developments taking place on this front informed The Nation that the government would give assurance to the PTI leadership on the electoral reforms and persuade it to bring their concerns in the recently constituted parliamentary committee on constitutional reforms and the same would be duly addressed.
The PTI is part of the 33 members committee and ruling PML-N had given extra representation to the Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaf in it, ostensibly to appease Imran Khan and to show their seriousness about addressing the concerns of PTI about, what they termed, flawed electoral system.
Sources in PML-N confirmed that they were in constant touch with PTI leadership and were persuading it to call off its protest march keeping in view the precarious law and order situation in the country, but so far no breakthrough in this regard was achieved.
The sources further said that the proposed meetings of Mian Nawaz Sharif with the leaders of other political parties in the first week of August would mainly be focused on wooing the support of these parties against the protest marches of PTI and Allama Tahirul Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek, and to persuade Imran Khan to resolve all contentious issues through parliamentary means instead of bringing people to the streets which could imperil the incumbent democratic order in the country.