ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to make some important announcements upon his return from London, where he will share the outcome of the strategy developed by top PML-N minds during consultations with party supremo Nawaz Sharif, the information minister said on Saturday.

Shortly after returning from London herself, government spo­kesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb told reporters in the capital that upon his return, PM Sharif would take all allies on board before sharing “important announcements in his address to the nation” upon his return to the country.

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Although the minister had termed the London sojourn ‘a routine consultation’ before the delegation’s departure, some party leaders Dawn spoke to after the two-day consultations were unusually tight-lipped, saying they had been sworn to secrecy.

However, insiders revealed that the talks focused on everything, from the current economic crisis faced by the country, the upcoming federal budget for 2022-23, the question of a suitable date for the next elections and also the current political situation facing Pakistan, especially in the context of regular public rallies being held by government-rivals PTI, across the country.

Addressing the media in Islamabad on Saturday, Informa­tion Minister Marriyum Aurang­zeb said the prime minister would consult the allied political parties on the strategy and all decisions before his address to the nation.

PM Sharif is currently in the UAE to pay his respects to former Emirati president Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who passed away earlier this week, and he is expected to return to Pakistan on Sunday (today).

“He will very soon tell the nation about the entire strategy and decisions made in London,” the information minister said. The minister said her party’s leadership held “long and detailed” sessions on how to reduce the fallout of the bad decisions made by the PTI government during the past four years.

When asked about the possibility of early elections, she said the current setup was a coalition, so this decision would be made by all allies. However, she expressed the hope she was for all allied political parties to decide, ad expressed the hope that the government would complete its constitutional term.

“But the focus is on devising a strategy to reduce the burden of inflation upon the masses and restore confidence in the economy,” she added She also attacked Imran Khan and the PTI, saying that they were in no position to ask questions over the economy, because the current government came into power only weeks ago. She said that it was time for Imran Khan to answer for the economic disasters, crisis, and turmoil he had inflicted upon Pakistan.The information minister claimed that Imran Khan considered himself above the Constitution and law of Pakistan, adding that he blatantly flouted all rules with contempt. Questioning in what capacity he was using the KP government’s helicopter to fly to public meetings, when he did not hold any government office or post, she said: “When you attack state institutions, there will be legal action against you. This is the government’s responsibility and it knows how to carry it out”.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2022