The Shahbaz Sharif government in Punjab may be restored this week as result of a recent meeting between Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and top opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, said a news report. The federal government has already moved the Supreme Court to grant a stay order against its earlier decision of Feb 25 in which the Sharif brothers were disqualified. With the stay order most likely to be granted on request of the federal government, the Shahbaz Sharif government might be restored automatically without any requirement of new vote of confidence or election of a new leader of the house, the report carried in the leading English language daily The News said. With this decision, more than 50 per cent “irritants” between the two major political parties would stand removed and a new beginning was on the cards. Soon it might be business as usual as it was before the decision of the court. With this stay order, the political scene will change. The prime minister emerged from his meeting with Nawaz Sharif quite satisfied. Even the Nawaz Sharif camp was said to be happy over the commitment of Gilani that his attorney general would seek a stay order against the earlier order from the court. The court decision to stay the earlier order would be taken as a win-win situation for both the parties as no one could claim the victory or defeat on this issue once the matter will be resolved through the court, sources said. Gilani told Nawaz Sharif during the meeting that clear instructions had already been issued to the attorney general of Pakistan. The sources said another major achievement of this high profile meeting was that Pakistan People's Party or PPP was finally ready to move a bill in the parliament to bring about changes in the controversial 17th amendment which had become a bone of contention between the two parties. The sources said Gilani and Nawaz Sharif also discussed that that those who were responsible for creating the political mess in Punjab should be marginalised in the new arrangement so that in future no such developments take place which finally led to governor's rule in Punjab. However, Nawaz Sharif did not press the prime minister on this issue. But these irritants were definitely discussed in the meeting and even some heads may roll once Gilani meets President Zardari to brief him about the outcome of his meeting with the Sharif brothers. Sources said apart from sending Gilani to appease Nawaz, President Zardari had also sent one of his top aides, known for his real estate business in Islamabad to hold a separate meeting with Nawaz Sharif to give him guarantees on his behalf. Zardari was not only showing full confidence in the person of Gilani to win over Nawaz and soften him he was also using other channels to send his own messages of reconciliation. Gilani was said to have also given an assurance to Nawaz that in case court decision about the eligibility of Sharif brothers gets late, the PPP might come forward to help it form its government in Punjab so this major irritant should also be removed. Gilani believed that once the Shahbaz government was restored, rest of the issues would automatically be discussed and sorted out through mutual dialogue.
