LAHORE-The apex court's judgement disqualifying Sharif brothers from contesting election came as a big surprise to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, because it was contrary to what he had been told by President Asif Ali Zardari, who asked him to defuse tension by telling Sharif brothers that they were not going to be disqualified. Highly reliable sources have confided to The Nation that PM Gilani was stunned by the court verdict against Sharifs, and his Thursday's remarks that 'I am saddened by the court decision' are not without a background. The sources also confirmed that PM Gilani did not attend one of the two meetings (the first one) held at Presidency the other day to show his resentment against the decision, which was exactly the reverse of what he had been told by the President. As per details, following Nawaz Sharif's outbursts against President Zardari during former's address to party's General Council a few days back, PM Gilani took up the matter with President visiting China at that time, and the latter asked him to diffuse the tension by giving assurance to Sharifs that they were not going to be disqualified by the court, and that their hue and cry in advance was uncalled for. Gilani took Zardari's words seriously and invited Shahbaz Sharif to meet him at Prime Minister's House in Islamabad the following day. In their meeting, Gilani assured Shahbaz Sharif that no such decision was on the cards as he had discussed the matter with President at length. Shahbaz also took Gilani's words seriously and returned to Lahore satisfied after the meeting. Shahbaz also took his elder brother Nawaz Sharif into confidence about the same and there was complete lull for a day or two. Then came the decision. It was too much for Gilani as well as the Sharif brothers who had been assured otherwise. Much embarrassed as he was, Gilani called up Shahbaz to tell him that he too had been deserted by the President.