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Naqvi Meets Zardari in Nawabshah Amid Political Reset TalkPakistan
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi flew to Nawabshah for a nearly hour-long meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari, where new provinces, a possible 28th Amendment and the political situation were discussed. No official statement was issued about the talks.
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NAWABSHAH: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a nearly hour-long, one-on-one meeting with President Asif Ali Zardari at Zardari House in Nawabshah on Thursday night, as speculation grows about a possible political “reset” in the country.
According to sources familiar with the meeting, the two leaders held detailed discussions on the creation of new administrative units and the possibility of a 28th Constitutional Amendment, the two issues that have dominated political debate in recent days.
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The meeting also covered the PTI founder’s recent meeting with his lawyers and the release of his sisters, and the possible political implications of these developments. President Zardari, according to the sources, stressed the need for negotiations with opposition parties to resolve outstanding political issues.
The prevailing political and law-and-order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also came under discussion. Naqvi briefed the president on the measures being taken to maintain peace and security in the country.
Why the meeting matters
The meeting is being seen as significant because it came only hours after Naqvi’s media talk in Lahore, where he proposed holding a public referendum on the creation of new provinces and said the people, not political parties alone, should decide the question.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had called for a “political reset” rather than new provinces during an address in Larkana on Monday, arguing that the country’s economic hardships made such a course necessary. The PPP strongly opposes the creation of new provinces in Sindh, and the Sindh Assembly has passed a resolution rejecting any division of the province.
Reports have also suggested that a proposal to reorganise Pakistan into 12 provinces is under consideration, with a nationwide referendum envisaged ahead of a possible 28th Amendment. Under the reported plan, Punjab could be divided into four provinces, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan into three each, and Sindh into two, although no final decision has been taken.
Reports also said the Nawabshah meeting touched on possible action against the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), although no details of any decision emerged. No official statement was issued about the meeting, and the specific outcomes of the discussion could not be independently confirmed.
Naqvi travelled to Nawabshah on a special aircraft for the unscheduled visit and left Zardari House after the meeting, according to reports. Both leaders are expected to remain in contact as consultations on the political situation continue.
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