ISLAMABAD: Tensions at the Prime Minister Office, where the mood has been grim over the past few days, came to a head on Wednesday when the marchers virtually besieged for some time its entrance and exits on the Constitution Avenue.

Inside, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held meetings with important ministers to take stock of the situation after the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) continued to build pressure on the government in a bid to seek his resignation and dissolution of the assemblies, a government official privy to the development told Dawn.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Minister for States and Frontier Regions retired Lt Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were regular participants of the huddles which the prime minister was constantly holding to come out of the face-off with the PTI and PAT unscathed, or at least without conceding much to the two adversaries.

A PML-N office-bearer told Dawn that the government was trying to fast-track the working of an all-parties parliamentary committee on electoral reforms and a three-member judicial commission the government had announced for investigation into the allegations of rigging in the 2013 general elections.

The 33-member reforms committee had elected Finance Minister Ishaq Dar as its chairman earlier this month, whereas the Supreme Court is yet to respond to the government’s Aug 12 request for formation of the judicial commission.

The government is considering a proposal which wants the electoral reforms committee to prepare its recommendations before the routine three-month period originally suggested by the prime minister. A similar suggestion will be made once the Supreme Court sets up the judicial commission.

The PML-N official said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was expected to take the National Assembly into confidence on Thursday about his government’s future plan of action.

On Tuesday, Jamaat-i-Islami Emir Sirjul Haq presented a four-point formula to defuse the crisis. He said the judicial commission must complete its investigation in one month and the committee on electoral reforms must make its proposals within 40 days and punish those found involved in poll-rigging.

According to an office-bearer of the JI’s media cell, Mr Haq again called Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday and discussed with him a possible way out of the crisis. Later, the JI emir met Imran Khan in his container. Talking to a TV channel, Mr Haq promised good news as the two sides agreed to sit across the table.

According to a government source, the prime minister and his cabinet members gave mixed signals; some time suggesting as if everything was normal, and at times coming out with glum looks after the meetings.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2014