PPP, PML-N bury the hatchet

LAHORE-Sense seems to have prevailed, as after a month-long wrangling over gaining political control in Punjab, the PPP and the PML-N have finally decided to bury the hatchet, at least for the time being, and work together as equal partners in Punjab province.

Following the recent high-level contacts between the PPP and the PML-N, Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif on Monday called PPP’s Senior Minister, Raja Riaz Ahmad in his secretariat, and extended his party’s full cooperation to PPP in the province. He also informed the PPP Minister about the broader understanding reached between the top leadership of the two parties a few days ago.

‘Now, there would be no political change in Punjab. The PPP and PML-N have agreed to work together for welfare of the people and to steer the country out of the current crisis’, announced cheerful Raja Riaz while talking to the media after his meeting with the Punjab CM on Monday.

During the meeting, which lasted half an hour, Shahbaz Sharif also agreed to convene a meeting of Punjab Cabinet in a couple of days to restore working relationship with PPP Ministers.

Shahbaz also assured Raja Riaz that all genuine grievances of the PPP in Punjab would be addressed adequately. Issues relating to expansion in provincial cabinet were also discussed, and it was decided that the two sides would meet again to chalk out modalities in this regard.