Zardari, Shahbaz meeting fails to bridge differences
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Punjab Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif, who met on Friday at Aiwan-e-Sadr, failed to bridge the trust deficit between their parties on various national issues, sources in their political parties said.
Neither was there any official announcement from the President House nor from the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) about the agenda and the outcome of the meeting as the two sides tried to downplay it due to uncertain reasons.
It is believed that there will be some significant changes in the political landscape of the country during next two months especially in March when Senate elections will be held and the lawyers long march will be staged with the support announced by PML-N and some other parties including Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf.
The most divisive issue that came under discussion in the meeting was repealing of the 17th Constitutional Amendment that bestowed 'politically undesirable' powers to the President Zardari.
Sources said President Zardari who had invited Mr Sharif for dinner sought support of the main opposition party on major issues and desired that he wanted to take Muslim League along.
However the response of Punjab chief minister was quite 'unpleasant' for the president as Mr Sharif remained adament as to his partys stance that it will continue its support to the lawyer's movement for restoration of deposed judges and repealing of the 17th amendment.
The president was of the view that he and his party was committed to repeal the 17th amendment by passing an 18th constitutional amendment for which major political parties including PPP, PML-N, PML-Q and MQM had already presented their drafts bills, the sources said.
President Zardari said the government was examining the bills presented by the PML-N and emphasised the need for tabling of a bill in parliament which will be acceptable to all parties.
When contacted, Spokesman for the President Farhatullah Babar termed the meeting of the President Zardari and CM Shahbaz Sharif a 'routine get-together'.
Asked if the meeting was successful from the Presidents point of view, the spokesman said: 'As there was no agenda of the meeting how it can be declared a successful or a failed one.'
Meanwhile an official handout was issued from the President House which said: 'Chief Minister Punjab, Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif called on President Asif Ali Zardari in the Presidency and had dinner with him. During the meeting political situation of the country was also discussed.'
PML-N information secretary Ahsan Iqbal also termed it a routine meeting which remained inconclusive.
He quoted PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif as saying: 'The meetings which remain productive and beneficial for the democracy and the country must be held but those which are convened only for the sake of meetings cause disappointment among the people.'
'The stance of the party,' he said, 'was quite clear that there should have been a real change in the country for which people had exercised their right of franchise in February, 2008 elections.'
