• Shujaat assures Zardari he would talk to Punjab CM Elahi. 
• Zardari begins holding consultations on possible no-trust move against CM Elahi. 
• Zardari, Shujaat talk about matters of “mutual interests”.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, in a recent meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, asked him to not dissolve the assemblies, assuring of a new setup after consultations, said the sources on Wednesday.

The two leaders held a meeting on Sunday days after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan threatened to dissolve provincial assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to talk about a new political strategy. 

Matters of “mutual interests”, the county’s overall situation, Punjab’s current political situation, fear of assembly dissolution and other matters were discussed in the meeting held in Islamabad. 

Federal minister Tariq Bashir Cheema and Rukhsana Bangash were among the attendees of the meeting. 

The sources said that Zardari assured Shujaat that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz will not be the chief minister of Punjab in the new setup. 

Meanwhile, Shujaat guaranteed the former president he would talk to Chief Minister of Punjab Parvez Elahi. 

Zardari has begun holding consultations regarding the political situation in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a possible no-confidence motion against Punjab CM with the allies. 

The Imran Khan-led PTI has been trying to force the incumbent government to conduct snap polls and has been holding talks to decide on a date for the general elections, threatening if polls are not held, it would dissolve the provincial assemblies.

Meanwhile, CM Elahi said that he did not see elections taking place in the next four months. “Elections cannot be held before four months; the federal and provincial governments need time to work and the elections may be delayed even after October next year,” he said. 

Although the PML-Q leader had repeatedly said that he fully backs the PTI chief’s decisions, his statement is in contrast with Khan’s threats of dissolving the assembly soon.