PRESIDENT Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reiterated their commitment to working together with each other for the country’s stability, development and prosperity.
A statement issued by the Presidency afterwards said the two leaders held discussions on the country’s political, economic and security situation, state of law and order and measures against the menace of terrorism.
Meetings and consultations between the head of the state and the head of the government are part of the constitutional scheme of things, which require of the latter to brief the former on important policies and developments but this one assumes special significance as it took place in the backdrop of growing speculations and rumours about future of President Zardari. No one knows for sure who was behind the campaign to cast doubts about the fate of the incumbent President but the decision of the Prime Minister to meet the President to take him into confidence is understandable as persistence of rumours was creating mistrust between the two major coalition partners. In fact, a few days back, the Prime Minister had dismissed such reports, reiterating his commitment to continue to work with President Zardari for the sake of the country and the system. However, this was first direct contact between the two leaders after rumour-mongering about alleged plans to replace the President, possibility of the President resigning himself and linkage of this change to the Army Chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. The very fact that the Prime Minister was accompanied by his important cabinet colleagues — Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and PM’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah – speak volumes about the contents of the huddle. Their resolve to continue to work together will surely pour cold water on the desire of those circles which want to sow seeds of misunderstanding between the PML(N) and the PPP. Otherwise too, the Government can ill-afford a rift among coalition partners at a time when the main opposition party was in the midst of an anti-government protest campaign. Anyhow, after the clear cut statement, there should be an end to wild speculations on the subject.
