Ruling PML-N takes key ally PPP into confidence 'ahead of crucial legislation in parliament'

Amid growing contentions between the two key ruling allies — the Pakistan Peoples Parties (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the top leaders of the two parties including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal-Bhutto Zaddari sat together in Islamabad on Thursday to iron out differences.   

Sources told Geo News that the coalition government led by PM Shehbaz took the PPP leadership into confidence ahead of "crucial legislation" in the National Assembly. 

In this regard, the sources said a session of the National Assembly will be convened on Monday for the "crucial legislation". 

Without divulging details of the upcoming legislation, the insiders said the two sides also discussed the prevailing political situation in the country and various key issues.

The PPP delegation led by party chairman Bilawal consisted of Senator Sherry Rehman, former National Assembly speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and MNA Naveed Qamar.

From the PML-N side, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and PM's aide on public and political affairs Rana Sanaullah attended the huddle. 

Sources said that PPP shared various concerns with PM Shehbaz, including the non-implementation of written agreement regarding power-sharing formula in Punjab.

"PPP is constantly being ignored in the Punjab government," the sources cited one of the objections raised during the meeting.

They said that a meeting of the PML-N and PPP's coordination committees has been called at Punjab Governor House on Sunday (August 25), where the issues between the two parties will be resolved.