Pakistan: PM Sharif govt to hold meeting over proposal to call for early polls

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif will hold a special meeting of allies today to discuss the suggestion of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to hold fresh polls in the country. This follows a crushing defeat at the hands of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Punjab polls.

Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman will chair the meeting and Nawaz Sharif will address it via video, News International reported. It added that the PML-N Quad has worked out a strategic plan for giving up the government, which will be highlighted in today's meeting.

The meeting will be attended by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, among others. Sources say the meeting will also discuss developments in Punjab in the wake of the ouster of the region's government.

Well-placed political sources said on Wednesday that the judicial verdict in the Punjab government had compelled Nawaz Sharif to harden his position regarding dissolving National Assembly.

The PDM leadership will also discuss the conduct of the various institutions during the last four months, as well as the country's economic meltdown.

Nawaz Sharif will be present in the meeting throughout through video while Asif Ali Zardari will also be linked to the deliberations, the sources added.

Nawaz Sharif urged quitting the government at the Centre after Supreme Court declared Pervaiz Elahi as Punjab's Chief Minister in a recent verdict against the ruling of Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammed Mazari.

The top court declared Mazari's ruling in the Punjab chief minister's election "illegal" and ruled that PTI's candidate Pervaiz Elahi would be the new CM of the province.

The court overruled the election of Shahbaz and declared Elahi the winner, following which the party observed a 'thanksgiving day'.