Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday, and both agreed to “maintain political tolerance and consultation”, the premier’s party, PML-N, posted on X.

The meeting comes amid an emerging rift between the PML-N and Murad’s PPP, allies in the Centre.

State broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported that the meeting took place in Islamabad while the PML-N said matters of mutual interest and political affairs were also discussed on the occasion.

The talks also covered Sindh-related matters and ongoing development projects, the PML-N’s X post stated.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, Information Technology Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema and Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik also attended the meeting.

The meeting takes place against the backdrop of the PPP expressing its grievances, particularly those related to recent elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. The PML-N has come out as the winner in the polls that the PPP alleges were marred by rigging and irregularities.

Last week, the PPP also established formal contact with the opposition, with party Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari saying a genuine alliance with the ruling PML-N was not possible until their grievances regarding the AJK elections were addressed.

While the immediate focus during the meeting was parliamentary cooperation — from restoring the opposition’s participation in committees to pursuing electoral reforms — the meeting also carried a broader political undertone.

The signal from the PPP could have been that, while it remains part of the coalition government, it is willing to engage more assertively with the opposition, particularly as tensions over the AJK election results continue to simmer.

The discord between the PPP and PML-N was also apparent in the National Assembly on Aug 18, when the former managed to compel the government to virtually suspend the heavy legislative agenda for the day, which included 21 bills.

On Aug 20, when the lower house of Parliament passed two bills pertaining to the military and nuclear command structure, the PPP also objected to the manner in which the legislation was presented. While the party ultimately voted in favour of the bills, Bilawal lashed out at the government for not taking ruling allies on board.

On Friday, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz fired a fresh salvo at the PPP, accusing it of corruption and warning political rivals against targeting her government’s performance.