ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani met on Monday to defuse ‘tension’ between their ‘camps’ triggered by the release of a list of beneficiaries of the National Reconciliation Ordinance, sources told Dawn.

President Zardari is reported to have taken a serious note of the manner in which the list was released to the media and was of the view that it should have been made public after removing anomalies.A number of PPP stalwarts, including close aides of the president, have objected to the inclusion of their names in the list.

President Zardari endorsed their viewpoint that the list was presented in ‘haste’ and that Minister of State for Law Afzal Sindhu should not have held a press conference but the list should have been issued in the form of a press release.

Sources close to the prime minister said the two leaders had met to clear some misunderstandings created by the list.

The prime minister also discussed with the president possible repercussions of the reopening of cases by courts which had been closed after the promulgation of the NRO.

They also exchanged views on the work of a parliamentary committee revisiting the Constitution and discussing matters relating to repeal of the 17th Amendment.

According to an official handout, ‘The meeting held in the presidency also discussed matters relating to the current political situation, the ongoing drive against militants in Waziristan, fate of internally displaced persons repatriated to Malakand and Swat and those who left tribal areas because of operation, besides the measures taken by the government to address sugar problem and ‘Aghaz-i-Haqooq-i-Balochistan Package’.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, president’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that Gilani discussed with Zardari salient features of the Balochistan empowerment package to be unveiled in a joint sitting of parliament on Tuesday.

Babar said the president complimented the prime minister on finalisation of the Balochistan package and expressed the hope that it would go a long way in redressing the grievances of the Baloch people.

Gilani discussed with Zardari the constitutional issues being thrashed out by the constitutional reforms committee for placing before parliament soon.

They also discussed the new accountability law which is under process. Gilani said he had started the process of taking other political parties into confidence on the issue, Babar informed.

The president said that the policy of national reconciliation should be continued and all political parties be taken on board on all national issues.