Zardari Shehbaz Meeting Covers Politics and Security
President Asif Ali Zardari met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore on Saturday. The Zardari Shehbaz meeting covered the country’s political, economic and security situation, and the prime minister briefed the president on his recent visit to Turkiye, where he attended the COP31 climate conference.
The Zardari Shehbaz meeting took place at the prime minister’s residence in Model Town. The Prime Minister’s Office said the two leaders exchanged views on cooperation among allied parties, the continuation of consultation and progress on public welfare projects. They also reaffirmed their commitment to working together to strengthen economic stability and speed up development.
Who attended the Zardari Shehbaz meeting
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq attended the meeting, along with former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah and MNA Hamza Shehbaz.
President Zardari’s sister, PPP Women’s Wing President Faryal Talpur, was already in Lahore, where she chaired a meeting of the PPP Punjab executive this week.
A briefing on the Turkiye visit and COP31
Prime Minister Shehbaz briefed the president on his visit to Turkiye, where he took part in the 31st Conference of the Parties and highlighted Pakistan’s efforts on climate action. The visit underlined Pakistan’s push to keep climate finance and adaptation on the agenda at the global talks, after the floods and heatwaves of recent years.
Pakistan has pressed its case at climate conferences since the catastrophic floods of 2022, arguing that countries which contribute little to global emissions still bear heavy costs. The COP31 discussions have also drawn attention to disputes over climate science and the pace of action.
The new provinces debate in the background
The meeting came as debate continues over the creation of new provinces. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met President Zardari in Nawabshah two days earlier, and media reports claimed the two had discussed the possible formation of new provinces. The President House clarified that no such discussion took place, and said the meeting had covered national security and the regional situation.
The referendum proposal has found support among some PML-N leaders. Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan recently raised the constitutional question of whether elected representatives could override the people’s verdict in a referendum. Mustafa Kamal has argued that new provinces are a need rather than anyone’s wish, while other leaders say the matter needs parliament and the provincial assemblies.
The last meeting came before governor’s rule in KP
The last publicly reported meeting between President Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz was on October 10, when the two discussed the country’s security situation. A day later, the federal government imposed emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The detained KP chief minister has since become the subject of petitions before the Federal Constitutional Court.
In August, the prime minister had called on the president and briefed him on the Makkah defence pact signed days earlier between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye. Saturday’s meeting followed the same pattern, with the prime minister briefing the president after a foreign visit and the two leaders reviewing the situation at home.
Security also featured in the talks. Security forces killed 16 terrorists in an operation in North Waziristan, in which two soldiers were martyred.
Frequently asked questions
Where did Zardari and Shehbaz meet?
They met at the prime minister’s residence in Model Town, Lahore, on Saturday, November 14.
What did the two leaders discuss?
They discussed the country’s political, economic and security situation in detail, along with cooperation among allied parties and progress on public welfare projects.
Who else attended the meeting?
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Prime Minister’s Adviser Rana Sanaullah and MNA Hamza Shehbaz attended.
What did Shehbaz brief Zardari on?
He briefed the president on his recent visit to Turkiye, where he attended the COP31 climate conference and highlighted Pakistan’s efforts on climate action.
When did Zardari and Shehbaz last meet?
Their last publicly reported meeting was on October 10, when they discussed the security situation a day before emergency and governor’s rule were imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
