ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister on Sunday held a lengthy meeting with his eldest brother and the founding leader of his political party Nawaz Sharif in London to discuss a wide range of political issues including the timing of the next general elections in the country, reported the local media.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is currently visiting the United Kingdom to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II who passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland earlier this month.
According to Geo News, the two leaders ruled out the possibility of early elections in Pakistan during their conversation.
“The meeting between the Sharif brothers lasted for about three-and-a-half hours,” said the report. “Despite being under pressure, the two [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party] leaders agreed that the next general elections in Pakistan should be held at the stipulated time.”
Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan, who was ousted from power in a no-confidence vote in April after losing parliamentary majority, has been demanding early elections since he claims his administration was brought down by international powers who did not want him to pursue an independent foreign policy.
However, the top PML-N leaders reiterated in their meeting the present coalition government would complete its constitutional term before holding general elections next year.
A senior Pakistani minister, Khurram Dastgir, also informed on Saturday the prime minister would consult his advisors and the founding leader of the PML-N party before appointing the new army chief in November.
Khan, who has refused to recognize the incumbent government while accusing its leaders of financial irregularities, said in a recent statement the current administration should not be allowed to make the appointment since it wanted bring its “favorite” army chief to protect itself against corruption cases.
Khan’s political party also said it would be “insulting” if the top army general was appointed by people facing corruption charges or running away from the country’s legal system.
Nawaz Sharif, an ex-premier who ruled the country three times, was convicted by an accountability court before he went to London on medical bail and did not return. The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party calls cases against him politically motivated.
Sunday’s meeting between the two PML-N leaders prompted Shireen Mazari, a leader of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, to raise the issue again, saying a “convict” was “making sensitive decisions regarding State institutions in complete violation of Official Secrets Act.”
The prime minister commented on the flood situation in the country while briefly interacting with the media after his meeting with his brother.
He said that the coalition government was distributing Rs70 billion to help flood-affected families who would get Rs25,000 each.
“Friendly and brotherly countries are extending their full cooperation,” he said. “They are sending flood relief items on planes, ships and trains. The people of Pakistan are also making generous contributions to help the flood-affected families.”
The prime minister added the government was supplying food, medicines, tents through national and provincial disaster management authorities to flood-hit areas.
