LAHORE, DEC 06 (DNA) — A history was made Wednesday as two former political friends and allies, who had parted their ways over two decades ago, met once again to contemplate on a joint strategy and decide the future of Pakistan.
It was three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif – accompanied by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and other party leaders – who visited the residence of Chaudhry Shujaat – located on Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi Road in the Gulberg area of Lahore.
Sources say the meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere with Nawaz and Shujaat exchanging pleasantries, as the two sides decided to formulate proposals for seat adjustment in the upcoming elections and form a committee to devise ways and means for a long-term relationship.
However, the top leadership of the two parties will make final decisions on different issues after detailed deliberations at the committee-level by their representatives.
Shujaat was once the second-most important person in the PML-N and had even supervised the affairs of the interior ministry, one of the most important jobs in any government, during Nawaz’s second term in office before forming his own faction of the party only to join hands with Pervez Musharraf – the very person removing, jailing and exiling his former boss.
Later, the senior Chaudhry too served as a premier albeit for a short period to pave the way for Shaukat Aziz after late Zafarullah Jamali was forced to resign in 2004 due to developing differences with Musharraf.
During all these years, the only two occasions where they had a handshake were related to the demise of the Sharif family members – Abbas Sharif, the youngest of the three Sharif brothers, and Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, the elder Sharif’s wife – as Shujaat visited Jati Umra to offer his condolences.
Interestingly, this period also saw politics moving in a full circle as the PML-Q and the once-united Chaudhry family also fell prey to political expediency and stood divided after the two Chaudhrys decided last year to choose rival camps – Shujaat opting for PDM, the then opposition alliance, while Parvez Elahi trying his luck by sticking with the PTI.
Although the PML-Q became part of the coalition government in 2022, the two seasoned politicians, who have played a role in shaping the tumultuous Pakistani politics in different capacities, never had a meeting.
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