Bilawal surprises Nawaz and Co, doesn’t table any demands

LONDON: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari didn’t ask for the position of Senate Chairman, Punjab Governor or seat adjustment during his three-hour-long meeting with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Sources privy to the meeting have confirmed that Bilawal Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif didn’t discuss anything related to the posts of Senate, Punjab Governor or Presidency and media speculations regarding the same were unfounded.

The three-hour-long meeting between PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had two sessions. In the first session, Bilawal and Nawaz held a one-on-one meeting while in the second session senior leaders of the party were present.

According to details shared by credible sources, Bilawal did not table any demand in front of the PMLN supremo and matters relating to the appointment of president, governor and Senate chairman were not discussed during the meeting. The PPP chairman neither suggested anything in this regard nor did he discuss these issues, confirmed a PMLN source.

The source said that Nawaz Sharif was told by his advisers that Bilawal may bring up these issues, seeking these positions for the PPP, but to the surprise of everyone Bilawal told Nawaz Sharif he was meeting him not to ask for anything but to discuss the possibility and need of working together in future for the greater cause of strong and vibrant democracy.

The sources close to Bilawal said that the purpose of the meeting was to strengthen democracy and congratulate the PMLN supremo. They said Bilawal’s London trip was also aimed at strengthening democracy and upholding the Constitution and he wanted to make this statement after a meeting with Nawaz Sharif. The sources from both sides said that Bilawal and Nawaz had agreed that misgivings of the past should be forgotten and both sides should agree to do politics against each other but stand together on the issues of democracy, non-interference in politics by any institution, free media, human rights and supremacy of the Constitution.

They said that Bilawal neither brought any agenda from Pakistan nor did he compile one in the UK. However, both the leaders agreed on tackling the country’s major challenges by keeping aside all political differences of the past. Both of them agreed to maintain a direct contact and form a joint committee to deal with the disputed issues of both the parties as well as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), they said.

During their joint presser after their meeting, Bilawal publicly thanked and appreciated Nawaz Sharif for his role in the cause of democracy and congratulated him that through their joint efforts an “unelected and selected Raaj” had been sent packing through the power of ballot. On his part, Nawaz Sharif thanked Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for the efforts it had made to remove Imran Khan’s government from power through a vote of no-confidence.

According to the sources, Bilawal will take the oath as federal minister for foreign affairs on his return. Speaking about this, Nawaz said that the PPP chairman is a “capable man and should serve the country by becoming the foreign minister which will also help restore the country’s reputation," shared a source.