LONDON, Nov 27: Former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif established somewhat unexpected contact when they met over dinner on Monday evening to take up where they had left off since their last meeting in October.

Sources said the two self-exiled leaders tried to decide what course of action they would adopt if Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal legislators carried out their threat to resign from the National Assembly in protest against the passage of the Protection of Women Bill by parliament.

They apparently vowed not to cut a deal with the establishment.

Earlier, the newly-appointed president of Punjab PPP, Shah Mehmood Qureishi and others met Mr Sharif to decide the agenda of the dinner meeting.

In a separate development, Abida Hussain met Ms Bhutto and announced her return to the party along with her husband Sayed Fakhr Imam, Amanullah Shahani, Sardar Wazir Ahmed Jogezai and others.