No date has been fixed for the meeting, which will be attended by the chief executives of the four provinces.
The premier made the decision in a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who called on him at his residence in Lahore on Sunday.
Shahbaz told Prime Minister Gilani that several industrial units have been closed down due to gas load-shedding. And hundreds of daily-wagers have lost their jobs, sources told The Express Tribune.
The chief minister complained that the federal authorities have failed to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to Punjab despite repeated requests from the provincial government. He requested the prime minister to convene a CCI meeting to discuss the matter.
Apart from the gas crisis, the two leaders also discussed the current political situation, overall security and the state of the national economy.
Gilani said grand economic reconciliation was required for the collective good of the country. “All political forces will be taken along on all economic issues, including the reformed general sales tax, to harness economic reconciliation,” he added. “Efforts for economic reconciliation are vital for creating political stability conducive to sustainable economic growth.”
Premier Gilani said resolution of economic and security issues should be the top priority of political parties. Eradication of terrorism, religious extremism and economic welfare of the common man require unconditional support from all political forces in the country.
Sources told The Express Tribune that the meeting was a part of the PPP-led government’s strategy to keep the PML-N engaged in an effort to calm it down on the demands put forth by Nawaz Sharif last month.
The elder Sharif has given the government 45 days to implement his party’s 10-point agenda which includes weeding out corruption, ensuring good governance and ending electricity and gas crises.
Political analysts say most of these demands are not doable within such a short time period. And Gilani also told the younger Sharif that some of the PML-N demands were not feasible, a source told The Express Tribune.
The source said that the deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi and exchange of allegations between the MQM and ANP also figured in Sunday’s meeting.
About the new governor Punjab, the premier assured Shahbaz that Sardar Latif Khosa would cooperate with the provincial government.
Sources said that Gilani has directed PPP officials in Punjab to not issue provocative statements against the PML-N leadership till the 45-day deadline expires.
The sources said that the PPP would not fulfill some of the demands in the PML-N’s 10-point agenda, including the one about implementing court ruling on the NRO, arresting the culprits of the Punjab Bank scandal and downsizing the federal cabinet. And Shahbaz assured Gilani that these would be discussed in meetings of committees of the two parties.
According to an official handout, the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere and at the end the Punjab chief minister invited Gilani to visit the Murree hill station to enjoy snowfall. (Additional input from APP)
Published in The Express Tribune, January 17th, 2011.
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