Zardari, Shehbaz agree upon cooperation on national issues

ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari have agreed to cooperate on national issues, sources said on Monday.

The two leaders entered the National Assembly together after the session resumed today and held a brief talk.

Shehbaz and Zardari agreed upon a working relationship and also decided on a joint strategy to deal with problems the country is currently facing.

Sources further said that the two have agreed to back each other in the parliament as well.

There was no discussion related to former premier Nawaz Sharif's meeting with Zardari, said sources.

After attending the NA session, former president Zardari left for Zardari House and gave brief responses to questions of media personnel. On his meeting with PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, the former president said that there has been no update on the issue of All Parties Conference (APC).

Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif spoke to media inside the parliament and said that he briefly met with PPP co-chair Zardari. In response to a question, Sharif said that he will speak about matters related to the APC after consultation.

Session boycott 

Earlier, the PML-N boycotted the session after party president Shehbaz Sharif was not produced on time by the National Accountability Bureau. The session was also boycotted by other opposition parties. 

Sharif arrived at Parliament in the custody of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials. The PML-N president was brought late and could not attend his party's parliamentary committee meeting.

“They did not want to bring me,” Sharif commented to reporters about the NAB team, adding that he was made to travel on the motorway despite an ache in his back. 

Speaking on the floor of the assembly, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi called on the opposition to attend the session and present their stance. 

“The treasury and opposition benches need to sit together and decide how the parliament will work," Qureshi said. 

On October 26, NA Speaker Asad Qaiser issued production orders for Shehbaz so that he can attend today's National Assembly session.

Shehbaz also attended the last NA session on October 17 during which he said there is "an unholy alliance between NAB and the PTI". Addressing the Parliament, Shehbaz also revealed the questions that he was being asked by the investigators. Delving into details regarding the Ashiana Housing Scheme, Shehbaz had said, "A NAB official told me that there are no corruption allegations against me in the housing case, but that I used my position to give the contract to former army chief General (retd) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani's brother to please him."