LAHORE: Prime Minis­ter Shahid Khaqan Abbasi called on ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif at the latter’s Jati Umra residence on Saturday evening.

Among other political and security issues, both leaders discussed the airing of what turned out to be fake news regarding the filing of a reference against Supreme Court Justice Asif Saeed Khosa.

According to sources, the prime minister and Mr Sharif discussed the need to identify some hidden hands that wanted to create a clash-like situation among state institutions. Mr Sharif stressed that those spreading fake news should be identified and checked.

Earlier in the day, it was reported in the media that the speaker had prepared a reference against Justice Khosa under Article 209 of the Constitution, levelling allegations of misconduct, to be filed in the Supreme Judicial Council. The alleged complaint purportedly mentioned the judge’s remarks labelling the speaker as Mr Sharif’s loyalist.

Since PM Abbasi had arrived in Lahore following his meeting with Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri and Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai in Quetta, he also apprised Mr Sharif of the law and order situation and pace of development projects in the province.

The prime minister said he had reviewed the security situation in Balochistan in the wake of a terrorist attack on an army truck at Pishin bus stop in Quetta, in which at least 15 people, including army personnel, died and over 40 others were injured.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2017