KARACHI: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and PML- Functional have decided to form a grand alliance of like-minded parties to counter the “Go Nawaz go” drive launched by the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the leaders of both parties with Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan at the Governor’s House on Friday night, informed sources told Dawn. They said a PML-N delegation would soon meet PML-F chief Pir Pagara in this regard.

The meeting reviewed the overall political situation against the backdrop of the anti-government movement and the Supreme Court’s judgement in the Panama Papers case. The PML-N leaders assured the PML-F of addressing their ‘reservations’.

The PML-N decided to activate the party in Sindh to win over its angry leaders and also increase coordination with anti-PPP nationalist party leaders. The party will also organise public meetings in different cities of the province which will be addressed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The sources said details of the alliance would be worked out at a meeting of top party leaders to be held soon.

Earlier, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar met Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair at the Governor’s House.

They reiterated their resolve to continue the operation to maintain law and order in Karachi and provide the law enforcement agencies every possible facility, including legal cover, so that they could continue to operate without any pressure.

They reviewed the law and order situation and the ongoing operation to eliminate terrorism from Sindh.

They expressed the resolve to take the Karachi operation to its logical conclusion.

Lauding the sacrifices made the law enforcement personnel, the governor and the minister said their efforts to restore peace in Karachi would not go in vain.

The governor told the minister that ever since the law and order situation in Karachi had improved, the metropolis had experienced an upswing in economic, social, literary and cultural activities.

Chaudhry Nisar also visited the Pakistan Coasts Guard headquarters where he laid a wreath at the memorial of martyrs and offered prayers.

The minister was briefed on the coast guards’ efforts to check smuggling and human trafficking along the coastal border, their defence capacity and operational affairs.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2017