Sharif and Zardari agree to convene both houses of Pakistan’s parliament
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari discussed Pakistan’s political and security situation on October 10. They agreed on separate National Assembly and Senate sessions for Tuesday, October 13.
Participants included Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, adviser Rana Sanaullah, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan and Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar. Sherry Rehman and Syed Naveed Qamar also attended. Radio Pakistan confirmed the agreement on parliamentary sessions.
The meeting came amid disagreements between the federal government and the PTI-led administration in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The provincial side seeks a review of counterterrorism policy and says it is excluded from security decisions. Federal authorities deny that and criticise PTI’s approach to dialogue with the Afghan Taliban.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the province had received 700 billion Pakistani rupees for development without upgrading its counterterrorism department and necessary infrastructure. His allegation that money was spent on protests represents the federal side’s claim rather than an established audit finding.
Separately, Sharif invited Fazlur Rehman to talks aimed at reducing tensions. That telephone conversation had already been reported. Rehman accepted, but a meeting date has not been announced.
An attempt to bridge differences on October 3 failed. Opposition and government representatives subsequently met Rehman separately. PTI lawmaker Junaid Akbar said his party was open to Rehman’s involvement, although no specific negotiating framework had emerged.
JUI-F spokesman Aslam Ghauri described Rehman’s role as facilitating renewed dialogue, without authority to decide on the opposition’s behalf. The party proposed a multiparty conference in parliament. Discussion of an emergency or governor’s rule in the province does not mean those measures have already been imposed.
