PM Nawaz to land in federal capital today

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to land in the federal capital on Monday (today) where he is scheduled to chair crucial meetings on key national political matters.

Since landing back home on July 9, the PM has set up a camp office in Lahore from where he is running government affairs.

Although there is no official word on the exact time of the premier’s arrival, but an officer at the PM Secretariat, who requested anonymity, said PM’s itinerary had been prepared ahead of his arrival in Pakistan and ‘it remains unchanged’.

Leader of the House in Senate Raja Zafarul Haq said: “Mian sahib can land here any time on Monday depending on (good) weather conditions,” he said.

Sources in the PML-N said he was expected to focus on upcoming general elections in Azad Kashmir scheduled to be held on July 21.

Nawaz, sources said, was expected to convene an important meeting of the party’s AJK chapter. The meeting, they said, was also likely to be attended by Kashmir Affairs Minister Birjees Tahir, PM’s Advisor on Political Affairs Asif Kirmani, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid and Raja Zafarul Haq.

A PML-N lawmaker, who is active on AJK’s political front, said deliberations on the appointment of ECP members, planned backdoor negotiations between government and the opposition on Panama leaks, political consensus on extension in the Protection of Pakistan Act, Nawaz is expected to visit Karachi, the joint session of parliament against Indian atrocities in Kashmir.

“As of now, everything else has been on the backburner. Our attention is now focused solely on AJK polls,” the lawmaker said.

However, Raja Zafarul Haq said discussions on a host of issues would take place after the PM’s arrival in the federal capital.

“It would not be correct to assume that the prime minister or PML-N’s only focus would be on the AJK polls. All matters are given due consideration depending upon their importance and nature of urgency, he said

“The PML-N in general, and Mian sahib in particular, believe in taking all political parties in confidence before taking key decisions on national issues. But, having said that, there is no denying the fact that AJK elections are politically very important,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2016.