Shehbaz, Zardari move to ease Centre-KP tensions

Summary

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari held talks on Saturday to review the country’s political and security situation as tensions between the federal government and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa administration continued to rise.
• In a separate development, Shehbaz Sharif held a telephone conversation with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to discuss ways to reduce tensions between the federal and K-P governments.
• Fazlur Rehman also discussed the political deadlock with the prime minister, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

AI Generated Summary

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari held talks on Saturday to review the country’s political and security situation as tensions between the federal government and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa administration continued to rise.

The meeting took place at Aiwan-e-Sadr amid growing friction over counterterrorism policies in K-P and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ongoing march towards Islamabad. The escalating standoff has also raised concerns about possible federal intervention in the province, including the imposition of governor’s rule or an emergency.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and PPP Senator Sherry Rehman also attended the meeting.

According to the Presidency, the participants exchanged views on the country’s political and security situation. It was also decided to convene separate sessions of the National Assembly and Senate on Tuesday.