Nawaz briefed on country’s affairs

Will chair NEC, federal cabinet meetings through video link today

ISLAMABAD/LONDON: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was on Sunday briefed by his principal secretary, military secretary and other staff on the country’s affairs.

He was also received a check-up by his surgeon a day before undergoing open heart surgery on Tuesday.The premier will chair the National Economic Council (NEC) and federal cabinet meetings from London on Monday (today) through a video link.

The state TV network is all set to cover this all-important event.Highly-placed sources told The News that the record of proceedings of the federal cabinet and NEC would be recorded by the department concerned and the Federal Secretary Cabinet Nadim Hasan Asif would be responsible for recording the minutes of the federal cabinet.

This will be the first occasion when the federal cabinet and NEC proceedings will be recorded on tape.The NEC meeting will take place in Islamabad and it will be linked with the Pakistan High Commission in London at around 5:15pm today.

Afterwards, the prime minister will chair a special cabinet meeting before the budget at around 6:30pm.It is likely that the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is in London, will also join the prime minister for the two meetings.

A representative of the Federal Finance Ministry would be present at the high commission before the commencement of the meetings and will acquire the signature of the minutes of the special cabinet meeting to fulfill the constitutional requirements so that the budget proposals could be put up in the National Assembly, the sources added.It is likely that the participants of both the meetings would inquire after the prime minister and offer collective prayers for his speedy recovery.

Sabah adds: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday arrived in London. Shahbaz along with family members left for London by a private airline via Doha.Before departing for London, Shahbaz requested the nation to pray for the successful operation and quick recovery of Nawaz Sharif.

He was accompanied by his son Hamza Shahbaz and is expected to return on Wednesday or Thursday.Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif said on her official Twitter account that the surgery would be for perforation of the heart, a complication from an earlier procedure in 2011.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said the prime minister was continuing to oversee the state affairs in the days before his surgery.It is, however, natural and understandable that the prime minister will be off from any activities when he is actually operated on by the doctors, the statement said.