Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets President Zardari on security and politics

Political tensions between governments rise

The Prime Minister also spoke with JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman regarding ways to ease tensions between the federal government and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Both sides agreed in principle to accept the religious leader as a mediator for their political differences. However, the chief has set conditions before formally taking up this mediating task.

Security policy disagreements continue

The opposition PTI claims it is being left out of security decisions concerning Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while the Centre denies this allegation. Federal ministers have criticized the party for staging a protest long march during a time when the province faces security challenges. The government and the KP administration remain at odds over various issues, particularly counterterrorism policy.