KARACHI: Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has arrived in Karachi on a maiden visit to the metropolitan city after assuming the office.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah welcomed PM Shahbaz Sharif upon arrival at the PAF Airbase Faisal. The whole provincial cabinet was present on the occasion.
Former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, PML-N’s spokesperson Maryam Aurangzeb, Miftah Ismail, MQM-P Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, JUI-F’s Akram Khan Durrani, Maulana Asad Mehmood and other leaders of the allied parties accompanied the prime minister.
It was after a long time that the Sindh chief minister received any prime minister at the airport. CM Murad had welcomed the then prime minister just once during the entire tenure of the previous government.
PM Shahbaz Sharif will also preside over a meeting at the Sindh CM House. Nawaz Sharif was the last prime minister who had chaired a meeting at the CM House. EX-PM Imran Khan always held meetings at the Governor House.
During his day-long visit, PM Shahbaz will hold meetings with the leaders of allied parties and chair a consultative meeting relating to development projects in Karachi. He will also attend a meeting on the law and order situation in the metropolis at the Chief Minister House.
Soon after arrival, the premier travelled to the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah where he laid a floral wreath. CM Murad and leaders of allied parties were also present on the occasion.
During the flight to Karachi, the prime minister conducts a meeting on Karachi and the economy, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb tweeted along with Shahbaz Sharif’s pictures busy in consultations with Miftah Ismail.
“Pakistan will move forward so fast it will be called Pakistan Speed”, she said.
Shahbaz Sharif will also visit MQM-P’s Bahadurabad headquarters. He had a meeting with the Muttahida leadership on Tuesday on matters related to the government formation and the agreement reached between the parties before the no-trust motion was voted.
Newly elected PM Shahbaz Sharif is in consultation with the leaders of the coalition parties over the formation of his cabinet.
On Tueday, he held separate meetings with PPP leaders and former president Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto, PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman, MQM-P leaders, BNP-Mengal chief Akhtar Mengal, parliamentary leader of the BAP Khalid Magsi, Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) chief Shahzain Bugti and independent member Aslam Bhootani for this purpose.
During the meetings, the premier expressed his resolve to collectively address all public problems with the spirit of unity, cooperation and mutual trust.
Sources privy to the matter said that PPP is unwilling to be a part of the cabinet, saying that it would support the government from the treasury benches in a better way.
According to the sources, one group within the party favours the idea of joining the cabinet to strengthen the coalition, while the other group is of the view that the party should instead focus on electoral reforms for early elections.
However, the final decision will be made as per the top leadership's will in a few days.
Sources said the PPP was more interested in the constitutional offices of the parliament and it would join the cabinet in the second phase. There is a consensus in the party on taking over the office of the National Assembly speaker with Raja Pervez Ashraf and Syed Naveed Qamar as its candidates.