Ahead of the appointment of the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman and key coalition partner of the incumbent government, Asif Ali Zardari, has failed to get a chance to meet the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad.
Asif Ali Zardari spent the whole day after arriving in Islamabad from Karachi ahead of the key appointment of the new COAS. Sources told News360 that Zardari did not get a chance to meet PM Shehbaz Sharif who quarantined himself after contracting COVID-19 following the five-day London visit.
The service period of the outgoing COAS General Qamar Javed Bajwa is going to conclude on November 29, on the other hand, PM Sharif went to spend isolation days for at least two weeks after contracting COVID-19. It is unconfirmed yet whether the premier is holding consultations regarding the key appointment or not.
PM Shehbaz Sharif stays out of limelight after contracting COVID-19
Sources said that it is also unconfirmed so far whether the recommended names were forwarded to PM Sharif for the key appointment or not. On the other hand, it is a point of concern for PPP, the major coalition partner of the incumbent government – that Zardari failed to hold a meeting with PM Sharif so far due to his isolation period.
Sources added that Zardari also failed to meet PM Sharif via video link despite spending the whole day in the federal capital. It was learnt that Zardari tried to get access to the premier from Karachi and later he moved to Islamabad but he fails to meet Sharif there as well.
However, in another development yesterday, a PML-N delegation headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar met PPP’s top leaders including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari at Zardari House Islamabad in which they held discussions over the political, economic situation and the key appointment.
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During the meeting, Dar conveyed Nawaz Sharif’s special message to the PPP’s top leaders. Dar has not only met PPP’s top leaders but also held a separate meeting with Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) head and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the federal capital in which he conveyed Nawaz Sharif’s message to him.
Analysts said the premier was seemingly not good in terms of health after contracting coronavirus for the third time which restricts him from holdings important meetings for consultations over the key appointment. They added it was not a good sign for the coalition government that the ruling party’s top leadership stops consulting its coalition partners for the key appointment.