Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif discusses ailing economy with brother Nawaz in London

The key members of Pakistan Muslim League-N, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, met on Wednesday with their party's supreme leader Nawaz Sharif in London and briefed him about the country's economy.

The PML-N leaders said that the meeting revolved around 300 billion Pakistani rupees which is immediately required to stabilise the economy of the country, ARY News reported citing the sources privy to the details of the sitting.

As per the PML-N sources, the country will receive two billion dollars from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on deferred payment while the conversation with the International Monetary Fund has been at an advanced level.

"The party huddle also consulted over the cases against former Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership," sources said.

The party will consider the options with regard to Nawaz Sharif's return to Pakistan again after the budget session. The PML-N meeting was decided for the compulsory consultation with the former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar over the key economic decisions, according to ARY News citing sources.

Meanwhile, in the meeting, the PML-N leaders opposed the election alliance with the Pakistan People's Party. The party leaders opined that a 'Charter of Democracy' can be inked with the PPP but an election alliance is unlikely, a party leader said.

In the first session of the crucial PML-N huddle, it was decided that there will be no early elections in Islamabad and the primary focus of the present government should be on providing economic relief to the citizens and taking long-term economic decisions.

The six-hour-long meeting was held among Pakistan Prime Minister, his brother and the party supremo Nawaz Sharif and other leaders, including Khwaja Asif, Miftah Ismail, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Atta Tarar, Rana Sanaullah, Ishaq Dar, Ayaz Sadiq, at an undisclosed location in London, The News International citing sources.

Notably, PTI chairman has been continuously calling for early general elections in the country since he lost the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly.

Sources said that Nawaz Sharif sought suggestions on various issues, including early elections from all the party leaders, and everyone agreed that the PML-N should implement the economic agenda for the remaining term and then announce the next elections in consultation with the coalition partners.

Soon after the meeting, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the party leaders and Prime Minister presented a full report on Pakistan's social, economic and political situation to the supremo and briefed him on the agenda of the government and its planning.

Nawaz Sharif is our Quaid. The meeting between Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif was long overdue. We have inherited today's Pakistan in a written-off situation and we needed to review the whole situation to formulate a plan. This was a private delegation," she said, as per The News International.

Shehbaz Sharif arrived in London to meet his brother Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday.

Nawaz, who is convicted in a corruption case, has been living in London on the pretext of ill health since 2019. The former Pakistan PM sought extensions to prolong his stay in London on medical grounds.