PM Shehbaz, President Zardari discuss overall situation amid intense tensions between Centre, K-P

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari discussed the country's overall situation on Saturday amid intense friction between the Centre and the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government on the issue of terrorism in the province and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's long march to Islamabad that has led to threats of imposing federal rule.

In a post on X, the Presidency said the two leaders met at the Aiwan-e-Sadr where they "exchanged views on the country's overall political and security situation".

The meeting comprised senior government and PPP leaders, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Prime Minister's Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Senator Sherry Rehman and more.

"It was agreed in the meeting to convene separate sessions of the National Assembly and Senate on Tuesday," the statement said.

Earlier, PM Shehbaz and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also discussed ways to ease tensions between the federal and K-P governments during a telephone conversation, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

According to the PMO, Shehbaz congratulated Fazl on performing Umrah and invited him to the Prime Minister’s House for a meeting, which the JUI-F chief accepted. The meeting is expected to take place soon.

“Fazl also spoke to the prime minister about reducing tensions between the federal government and the K-P government,” the statement added.

JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri, in a statement released by the party's media cell, said the two leaders had discussed the current political situation and the ongoing tensions between the federal and K-P governments.

Ghauri added that Fazl remained in regular contact with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership and had taken it into confidence as part of efforts to ease political tensions in the country.

Earlier, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam and K-P Governor Faisal Karim Kundi held a meeting at the Governor House in Peshawar today, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

During the meeting, they discussed the overall law and order situation in K-P, the ongoing long march, and other significant political matters. Expressing their gratitude to the people of K-P, both leaders said that the public has rejected the "politics of chaos."

A joint statement issued after the meeting affirmed that the federal government would take all possible measures to ensure peace and promote public welfare and development in the province.

Political deadlock

The contact came as the PTI’s long march is scheduled to travel from Charsadda to Mardan on Saturday, amid efforts to revive dialogue between the government and opposition.

Fazl has emerged as a possible intermediary as efforts to revive negotiations continue. PTI K-P President Junaid Akbar said the party had authorised the JUI-F chief to mediate between the government and opposition, while PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan called for unconditional dialogue and urged both sides to find a way forward.

The latest efforts followed two rounds of negotiations between the government and opposition that ended without an agreement. The sides remained divided over PTI’s demand for access to its jailed founder, Imran Khan, and the role of the K-P government in determining counterterrorism policy. PTI said a joint strategy involving the federal and provincial governments was needed, while the government maintained that cooperation from the provincial administration was essential.

Efforts to resume dialogue have continued as the long march advances, with PTI leaders pressing for renewed negotiations while government figures have urged the party to reconsider its protest.

The march began on October 4 after the initial attempts to reach an agreement failed, and its route is subsequently scheduled to take the convoy through Charsadda and Mardan before reaching Swabi. PTI has said it would announce its next course of action after reaching Swabi.

The political standoff has also fuelled speculation about possible emergency measures and changes to K-P’s administrative structure. Reports citing sources have suggested that a proposal to establish a separate administrative arrangement for 12 districts is under consideration.

Sources have said that the federal government is weighing options including governor’s rule and an emergency as tensions with the provincial government deepen.