PM in Jati Umra: Abbasi briefs Sharif over ongoing projects

Proposed amendments to Articles 62, 63 ‘come under discussion’

LAHORE: During a brief visit to Lahore on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met Nawaz Sharif at his Jati Umra residence to brief him on progress over various issues.

Wide-ranging issues of national importance and overall situation in the country were discussed between the two sides, according to a press release issued by the Prime Minister Office.

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar were also present during the meeting.

Efforts of the government to go ahead with its developmental agenda also came under discussion during the meeting. PM Abbasi also briefed Nawaz about his recent interactions with parliamentarians and party members.



According to party sources, the PM also shared the performance of his government with Nawaz and briefed him on the progress of the Karachi-Hyderabad-Sukkur motorway. Progress on power projects and other programmes initiated during the Nawaz’s tenure were also discussed at length.

The former PM, according to the sources, wants all projects to be completed on time as the PML-N is relying on them to bag them votes in the 2018 general election.

The sources said that progress on CPEC, the recent visit of the China’s deputy PM and the new US policy regarding Afghanistan were discussed during the meeting.

There were also reports in the media that matters pertaining to proposed amendments to Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution also came under discussion, along with the election reforms bill.

Sources, however, rejected the reports claiming that there was absolutely no need for the PM to discuss the proposed amendments with Nawaz.

“We have members in parliament who can handle this matter on their own. And many of our party leaders have good relations with opposition parties, and when the time comes, we will rally support for the amendments,” a PML-N leader said on condition of anonymity.



Earlier, the Prime Minister was received by Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Lahore airport from where he travelled to Jati Umra by a helicopter.

Mass Contact Drive

Source revealed that despite the latest standoff between a faction of lawyers and judges, Nawaz will go ahead with his pre-scheduled program of participating in the Lawyers’ Convention.

They said that PML-N’s lawyer forum had nothing to do with the situation, so it was needless to cancel the programme.

Three cities— Abbotabad, Multan and Quetta—have been shortlisted for upcoming visits and public addresses.

According to a tentative programme, Nawaz will visit Abbottabad after Eidul Azha and would travel to the other two cities after Muharram.