PM Sharif meets President Alvi; discusses Pak's evolving political and economic situation

ISLAMABAD: For the first time after assuming the prime minister's office,

Shehbaz Sharif

on Wednesday met President Arif

Alvi

and discussed the evolving political and economic situation in Pakistan following the ouster of the Imran Khan-led government through a no-confidence motion.

The meeting came a day after Alvi, a member of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, excused himself from the oath-taking ceremony of Sharif's 34-member Cabinet. In Alvi's absence

Senate

Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani administered the oath to new ministers.

The oath-taking ceremony was scheduled to be held on Monday, but Alvi that time also refused to administer the oath to the lawmakers, compelling the government to postpone it. The president also skipped the oath-taking ceremony of Prime Minister

Sharif

on health grounds after which Sanjrani had taken over the responsibility.

During the meeting held at Aiwan-e-Sadr (President's house), Alvi and Sharif discussed issues related to the evolving political and economic situation in the country, according to a statement issued by the President's Secretariat.

According to sources, Sharif inquired about Alvi's health.

The meeting lasted only for 15-17 minutes, Geo News reported.

The sources said Alvi and Sharif discussed various political issues, especially the note sent by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to remove Punjab Governor Umar Sarfraz Cheema, who on certain legal grounds refused to give oath to chief minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz.

Hamza Shehbaz is the son of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

On April 19, President Alvi had instructed Punjab Governor Cheema to continue to hold office despite the summary moved by the PMO seeking his removal.

The meeting between Sharif and Alvi was also a deliberate effort by the new prime minister to reduce the bitterness and the political tensions that have enveloped Pakistan after Khan's unceremonious ouster, the News International reported.

Khan, Chairman of the PTI, has become the only Pakistani prime minister to be ousted in a no-confidence motion in

Parliament

.

Earlier, it was rumoured that the Sharif government was contemplating removing Alvi. However, it is highly unlikely because a president can be removed only through impeachment by Parliament with two-third majority which is impossible for this government to achieve.

The only possibility is that Alvi resigns on his own, but this is not on the horizon so far.