DUBAI/ISLAMABAD, July 9: PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari met Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and other senior members of his party in Dubai on Wednesday and discussed important national issues, party matters and the current political situation in the country.

PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar told Dawn that the prime minister, along with other members of his entourage, reached Dubai from Malaysia on Wednesday and attended a meeting. The party members were specially flown to the UAE from Islamabad on the directive of Mr Zardari.

Mr Babar said that the prime minister also had a one-to-one meeting with Mr Zardari after which the two leaders left for the palace of Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al-Maktum to condole the death of his brother. He said that another meeting of PPP leaders would be held in a hotel after their return from the palace.

PPP leaders did not explain why Mr Zardari has convened the meeting in Duabi.

The PPP co-chairman had arrived in Dubai last week after visiting Greece and Turkey and called senior party members, including the prime minister, to Dubai.

The prime minister, who was in Malaysia to attend the D-8 summit, was asked to make a stopover in Dubai. Information Minister Sherry Rehman, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Information Technology Qamaruz Zaman Kaira and Labour Minister Syed Khursheed Shah also arrived in Dubai for the meeting.

Sources in PPP said Mr Zardari wanted to consult party leaders before flying to London for a meeting with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif.

The sources further said that the main purpose of the Dubai meeting was to discuss the future relationship with the PML-N in the wake of a tough line taken by the party on reinstatement of judges.

Several PML-N leaders have indicated that their party would wait till the end of the month for reinstatement of the judges and it is likely to quit the federal government if the deadlock persists.