PM Nawaz convenes high level meeting to discuss political crisis

ISLAMABAD: A high level meeting to discuss the current political crisis and chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is underway in the federal capital on Thursday, Geo News reported.

The premier continued consultation with his party leaders today after cancelling his scheduled visit to Turkey.

The sources told that the session is being attended by senior leaders including Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar, Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sarrdar Mahtab Ahmad Khan and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, meanwhile Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif was also called in for consultation.

The meeting will review different options to address the on-going political crisis along with considering the dialogue process.

The government is devising its future course of action in the wake of no breakthrough in talks with the protesting parties, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami tehreek (PAT).

PTI chief Imran Khan and PAT leader Dr Tahirul Qadri yesterday suspended their dialogues with the government after their deadline expired.

Qadri appealed thousands of his workers to converge outside the Parliament House today evening, announcing that “Thursday is Youm-e-Inqalab” (day of revolution).

Imran Khan, however, delayed announcement of his future course of action for the next 24 hours after “some positive developments from the government’s side.”

PM Nawaz was scheduled to leave for Turkey today on a two-day official visit to attend oath-taking ceremony of President-elect Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

However, after PM canceled his visit, President Mamnoon Hussain left for Ankara to attend the presidential handover ceremony today. He was accompanied by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi.