A quiet political storm gathered over the capital on Tuesday evening, as a sequence of high-level meetings sparked widespread speculation about an imminent shift in the country's political landscape.
In an unusual sequence of back-to-back meetings on Tuesday, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the PM House, shortly before the premier met with President Asif Ali Zardari at the President House as speculation grew over the army chief possibly replacing the president.
The high-level engagements have taken place amid growing speculation about a possible 27th constitutional amendment, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that President Zardari may step down and potentially clear the way for a successor in the Presidency.
The speculation, largely fuelled by social media, also hinted at behind-the-scenes efforts to replace the parliamentary system with a presidential form of government.
However, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, while talking to The Express Tribune, confirmed that the issue of the president's resignation and his possible replacement by the army chief had indeed come up in the meeting between President Zardari and PM Shehbaz but dismissed all such reports as unfounded, adding that the speculation stemmed from a media story that was possibly retracted later.
Among other things, Asif also questioned the media's credibility and its handling of speculative stories. He said it was time for journalists and media outlets to reflect on their own "credibility." In today's fast-paced environment, he added, false news spreads halfway around the world before the truth even has a chance to catch up.
Amid intense speculation about a potential shift in the country's power and political structure, the defence minister categorically refuted all the speculations, saying President Zardari was apprised about the developments and he showed "full confidence" in the government and the current political system.
"Mr President was fully aware of the issue and expressed his full confidence in the government," Asif told The Express Tribune, saying the PM briefed the President about the unconfirmed story and the subsequent developments. "It's all kite flying," he said.
While confirming that PM Shehbaz had a meeting with the field marshal before the PM-led delegation called on President Zardari, Asif said that there was nothing unusual about it as the premier and field marshal routinely meet three times in a week to discuss different issues.
"Army chief has no interest in politics," Asif said when asked about the army chief's view on the potential shift in the country's power structure. The defence minister said that the army chief is already holding the highest office in the military and has earned massive respect for winning the recent war against India. "He [field marshal] doesn't need anything," Asif incorporated.
The minister also dismissed the conjectures that there were rifts between the ruling PML-N and PPPP after PML-N emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly following the Supreme Court's ruling in the reserved seats matter, saying the two largest parties in the parliament would stay together. "We will keep a united face," he said, "we are not just partners in power but beyond."
Following a split mandate in the February 8 general elections, it was the PPPP which had helped the PML-N to form the government in the center after they both had reached an agreement and divided key constitutional offices, including PM, president, governors, chairman and deputy chairman of Senate and speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly, between them.
In response to a question about whether the 27th Amendment was still being considered even if there was no change in the presidency or the political structure, Asif said there was no deliberation about any constitutional amendments at the moment.
However, he maintained that introducing a constitutional amendment was a legitimate process and could be used just like it had been on 26 previous occasions.
When asked another question, he also denied that the meeting held at the presidency on Tuesday evening included any discussion on potential legislative business in the coming weeks. "No legislative agenda was discussed during the meeting," he shared.
According to an official handout issued by the Presidency's Press Wing following the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The statement noted that federal ministers Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Mohsin Naqvi and the PM's Adviser Rana Sanaullah were also present.
The official release stated that the discussion focused on the country's political, economic and security situation, including law and order and the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism.
It further said that the premier briefed the president on the government's economic measures, and both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to working together for national stability, development and prosperity.
The meeting between the top three leaders comes at a time when the so-called hybrid model is no longer operating from behind the curtain, it now stands fully centre stage.
Once a long-suspected framework, the hybrid system now appears to have fully matured and, notably, is no longer a clandestine arrangement but something openly acknowledged, even celebrated.
With Asif publicly hailing the hybrid model as a successful formula and the military chief receiving global recognition typically reserved for elected leaders, it has become increasingly apparent that powerful stakeholders are no longer merely orchestrating from the wings, they are visibly positioned at the centre.
It is against this backdrop that Tuesday's high-level meetings have fuelled further speculation.
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