Islamabad:
A quiet political storm gathered over the capital on Tuesday night as a number of high -level meetings triggered widespread speculation about an impending shift in the country’s political landscape.
In an unusual series of back-to-back meetings on Tuesday, head of Army Staff Feltmarshal Syed Asim Munir Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the PM house, shortly before the prime minister met with President Asif Ali Zardari in the presidential house, when speculation grew over the army’s boss who may have replaced the president.
High -level engagements have taken place in the midst of growing speculation about a possible 27th constitutional amendment, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that President Zardari can resign and potentially clear the way for a successor in the presidency.
Speculation, largely driven by social media, also suggested behind the scenes efforts to replace the parliamentary system with a presidential form of government.
Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, while talking to Express Pakinomist, however, confirmed that the question of the president’s resignation and his possible compensation from the army chief had actually come up in the meeting between President Zardari and PM Shehbaz, but rejected all such reports as unfounded, adding that speculation stemmed from a media history that may have been repeated later.
Among other things, ASIF also questioned media credibility and its handling of speculative stories. He said it was time for journalists and media to reflect on their own “credibility.” In today’s fast environment he added, fake news spreads halfway around the world before the truth even has a chance to catch up.
In the midst of intense speculation about a potential shift in the country’s power and political structure, the defense minister categorically rejected all speculation and said that President Zardari was assessed on the development and he showed “full confidence” in the government and the current political system.
“Mr. President was fully aware of the question and expressed his full confidence in the government,” Asif told the Express Pakinomist, saying that PM briefed the president about the unconfirmed story and the subsequent development. “It all flies,” he said.
While confirming that Prime Minister Shehbaz had a meeting with Field Marshal before the PM-led delegation called on President Zardari, Asif said there was nothing unusual about it when Premier and Field Marshal routinely meet three times in a week to discuss different questions.
“The army boss has no interest in politics,” Asif said when asked about the army’s chief’s view of the potential shift in the country’s power structure. The Minister of Defense said the army chief already has the highest office in the military and has earned massive respect for winning the recent war against India. “He [field marshal] Don’t need anything, ”Asif Incorporated.
The Minister also rejected the assumptions that there were canyons between the reigning PML-N and PPPP after PML-N emerged when the largest party in the National Assembly after the Supreme Court’s decision in the reserved seats means, saying that the two largest parties in parliament would become together. “We want to hold a unified face,” he said, “We are not just partners in power, but beyond.”
After a shared mandate at the February 8, February 8, it was PPPP who had helped PML-N form the government at the center after reaching an agreement and shared central constitutional offices, including PM, president, governors, chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate and the speaker and vice president of the National Assembly, between them.
In response to a question of whether the 27th change was still considered, although there was no change in the presidency or political structure, Asif said there were no considerations of any constitutional changes at the moment.
However, he maintained that the introduction of a constitutional change was a legitimate process and could be used, just as it had been on 26 previous occasions.
When he was asked another question, he also denied that the meeting held on the presidency on Tuesday night included any discussion of potential legislative business in the coming weeks. “No legislative agenda was discussed during the meeting,” he shared.
According to an official award issued by the presidency’s press wing after the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif President Asif Ali Zardari in Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The statement noted that federal ministers Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Mohsin Naqvi and the Prime Minister’s adviser Rana Sanaullah were also present.
The official release stated that the discussion focused on the country’s political, economic and security situation, including law and order and the ongoing efforts to fight terrorism.
It also said that the Prime Minister informed the president of the government’s economic measures, and both leaders confirmed their commitment to work together on national stability, development and prosperity.
The meeting between the top three leaders comes at a time when the so -called hybrid model no longer works behind the curtain, it is now fully in the middle of the stage.
When a prolonged framework, the hybrid system now appears to be fully matured and in particular is no longer a secret arrangement, but something openly recognized, even celebrated.
With Asif, publicly paid tribute to the hybrid model as a successful formula and the military boss receiving global recognition, typically reserved for elected leaders, it has become more and more clear that powerful stakeholders no longer just orchestrate from the wings, they are visibly placed in the center.
It is on the basis that Tuesday’s high -level meetings have given rise to further speculation.
