ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq has summoned a meeting of parliamentary leaders at 4pm today. The meeting is expected to chalk out a strategy to avoid infighting during the joint session of Parliament.

Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) Khursheed Shah, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party's (PkMap) Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl's (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Muttahida Qaumi Movement's (MQM) Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui along with leaders from the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) will partake in the meeting which will be held in the speaker's chamber.

Dawn has learnt that several parliamentarians are also pushing the speaker to accept the resignations tendered by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers and the speaker is expected to seek recommendations from the House members over what suitable course of action should be taken in this regard.

The Parliament met for four straight days last week with the sessions aimed at putting its weight behind Prime Minister Nawaz as PTI and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) call for his resignation. However, the show of strength was compromised when Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar accused PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan of using the name of late Benazir Bhutto for “business interests and personal gains” and being a facilitator of the biggest land mafia in the country.

The situation was resolved when Nisar on Saturday said he had no intention of continuing to indulge in a row with Ahsan. The interior minister’s remarks were subsequently welcomed by Ahsan who said Nisar’s statements were “a step to betterment”.

The House is scheduled to meet again today at 5pm.