LAHORE: Just a day before leaving for Malaysia on a two-day official visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met his elder brother and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Saturday and discussed with him the ‘growing tensions’ between the PPP and PML-N, requ­esting him to play his part in cooling off the tempers.

The meeting that took place at their Jati Umra residence covered governance issues, including the ongoing acrimony with the PPP-led Sindh government over flood and canal issues.

“The premier told the PML-N president that the PPP was its coalition partner and for smooth functioning of the government bickering between the two parties should not linger on,” a source privy to the meeting between the two brothers told Dawn.

The source said PM Shehbaz wanted his elder brother to speak to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and convince her “to let go and reconcile with the PPP”. He said the premier “urged Nawaz Sharif to ask Maryam Nawaz to adopt a reconciliatory approach and end the ongoing acrimony with the PPP leadership over flood and canal issues.

Shehbaz, Dar to leave for Malaysia today

“Nawaz Sharif was also briefed on the PPP’s grievances over administrative and development-related matters, with both leaders agreeing that unity within the coalition was essential to sustain the government’s stability.”

However, in its official statement, the PML-N said the prime minister briefed the party chief on his recent foreign visits and provided a detailed update on the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, including the outcome of successful negotiations with the protesters.

The war of words between the two coalition partners began over flood compensation, expanded to water rights on the Indus River (six canals issue).

Maryam Nawaz told the PPP leadership to keep its advice to itself, while the latter had its lawmakers stay away from the National Assembly and Senate sessions to protest her diatribe and demanded apology from her.

However, CM Maryam declared she would never apologise to the PPP over her outburst over flood and canal issues.

As the tensions escalated further, the PPP publicly repeated Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) allegations that Maryam Nawaz did not represent the people of Punjab stating that her government was a “by product of Form 47”.

PPP’s central information secretary Nadeem Afzal Chan said Maryam Nawaz, who called those raising public issues ‘the enemies of Punjab’, was herself the real problem of Punjab.

“The CM Punjab is demonstrating racist thinking to hide her failure to save the people from floodwaters,” he remarked.

PM’s Malaysia visit

Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz would leave for Malaysia for a two-day visit at the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim from Oct 5 to 7, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Saturday.

The FO said PM Shehbaz, Foreign Minister and Deputy PM Ishaq Dar, federal ministers and senior government officials will depart for Malaysia on Sunday. “The visit reflects the strong and enduring strategic partnership between Pakistan and Malaysia, rooted in mutual respect, shared interests, and close cooperation across a wide range of sectors,” it added.

A PML-N statement said Mr Ibrahim had also extended an invitation to party chief and ex-premier Nawaz Sharif to visit Malaysia, but he said he would consider the visit at a more suitable time.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2025