LAHORE-Sense seems to have prevailed, as after a month-long wrangling over gaining political control in Punjab, the PPP and the PML-N have finally decided to bury the hatchet, at least for the time being, and work together as equal partners in Punjab province. Following the recent high-level contacts between the PPP and the PML-N, Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif on Monday called PPP's Senior Minister, Raja Riaz Ahmad in his secretariat, and extended his party's full cooperation to PPP in the province. He also informed the PPP Minister about the broader understanding reached between the top leadership of the two parties a few days ago. 'Now, there would be no political change in Punjab. The PPP and PML-N have agreed to work together for welfare of the people and to steer the country out of the current crisis', announced cheerful Raja Riaz while talking to the media after his meeting with the Punjab CM on Monday. During the meeting, which lasted half an hour, Shahbaz Sharif also agreed to convene a meeting of Punjab Cabinet in a couple of days to restore working relationship with PPP Ministers. Shahbaz also assured Raja Riaz that all genuine grievances of the PPP in Punjab would be addressed adequately. Issues relating to expansion in provincial cabinet were also discussed, and it was decided that the two sides would meet again to chalk out modalities in this regard. This important development is stated to be the outcome of recent high-level contacts between the PPP and the PML-N top leadership initiated immediately after the Presidential election. The PPP sources said that President Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif held a couple of consultative meetings in the last two days to bridge the differences between the two parties over political fight in Punjab. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, also met on Sunday to further streamline the matters. The sources privy to the development said that during these high-level parleys, President Asif Ali Zardari reiterated his commitment with his party's agenda of national reconciliation, and assured that PPP would not dislodge PML-N govt in Punjab. He also made the PML-N leadership understand the sensitivity of the prevailing situation in tribal areas. Zardari stressed on the point that country could not afford internal conflict at a time when its borders were not secure and there were continuous threats to its security and sovereignty. It is to be noted that Zardari had already directed lower party cadres to stop issuing provocative statements against the PML-N. Meanwhile, political analysts have termed this reconciliation between the PML-N and PPP a big achievement of the latter. They believe that the 'truce' has been brought about on the terms and conditions of the PPP, whose clever political moves left no other choice for the PML-N, but to reconcile with it. Earlier, political tension between the PPP and PML-N in Punjab reached its pinnacle when some hawks within the PML-N demanded of the PPP to quit Punjab Cabinet, taking the plea that after pulling out of PML-N from the Federal Cabinet, that there was little justification left for the PPP to remain part of coalition in the province. The ensuing statements by Punjab Governor Salman Taseer also kept the political atmosphere in Punjab tense for quite some time. A number game also started between the two parties to prove their respective strengths in Punjab Assembly. The PPP established contacts with the PML-Q to counter the political moves by PML-N, which utilised its full potential to keep members of PML-Q forward bloc to its side. The PPP, in turn, encouraged the PML-Q to win back its disgruntled members to cut the PML-N to its size. Monitoring Desk adds: PPP's senior minister Punjab Raja Riaz has said the PML-N government in the province will not be destabilised and both parties will work together for the uplift of the masses, reported a private TV channel on Monday. Talking to media after a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he said it's the message of President Asif Ali Zardari that the PPP would not break the coalition with the PML-N in Punjab and continue to work together. The senior minister ruled out any possibility of change in Punjab government. Raja Riaz further said the consideration of the cabinet would be thought over in a day or two.