ISLAMABAD: While a war of words between the ruling Pakistan People’s Party and the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N continues unabated after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s conviction for contempt of court, behind-the-scene efforts aimed at calming the political storm are under way.

An official told Dawn that Prime Minister Gilani had requested PML-N president Mian Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan to avoid confrontational politics.

According to the source, the prime minister communicated his concern to the PML-N and PTI leaders that a direct confrontation between mainstream political parties would only benefit anti-democratic elements in the country.

In recent public statements, the prime minister has expressed fear that a conspiracy is being hatched to replace the current set-up with technocrats.

Speaking at a ceremony on Monday, he also warned his political opponents of dire consequences, saying: “If somebody believes that they will come to power after throwing out the PPP government, they are absolutely mistaken.”

Soon after his conviction on April 26, Prime Minister Gilani reached out to Mr Sharif and Mr Khan through intermediaries, asking them to heed his apprehensions and deliver words of support.

In a conversation with Dawn, Senator Pervez Rashid of the PML-N refused to acknowledge any behind-the-scenes communication with the PPP.

However, considering Imran Khan’s ‘docile’ reaction to the prime minister’s conviction, it seemed the PTI leader had accepted Mr Gilani’s request, said the senator.

“Do you think we will listen to the PPP after the recent exchange of harsh words between our leaders?” Mr Rashid asked.

PTI’s information secretary Shafqat Mahmood also denied any communication with the PPP.In the past, the PML-N president has responded positively to the prime minister’s friendly postures in tension-filled times. On March 22, 2009, when the PPP and the PML-N were having an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation following the imposition of the governor’s rule in Punjab, Mr Gilani’s visit to Raiwind played a key role in reversing the situation.

On several later occasions, Mr Gilani has acted as a fire fighter between the two rival parties. In February 2010, he met Mr Sharif at a time when the former Punjab governor, the late Salman Taseer, took on the provincial PML-N government head on. The timely meeting brought down tension levels between the two parties.

According to a PML-N insider, Mr Sharif is aware that a situation can at times get out of control and this is why he is still not in favour of an all out war with the PPP. However, he feels pressured by the mood in the PML-N which believes that this is the right time to whip up anti-government sentiment.

In the past, Mr Sharif had advised party colleagues like Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif against reverting to the politicking of the 1990s, where both parties consistently brought each other down. Both are known as party hawks.

On the other hand, a PPP leader believes that the upcoming general elections can be delayed for a year if the PML-N doesn’t listen to the ruling party. He said the PML-N wanted to have the next elections under the acting chief election commission – which the PPP would not accept. Under the 20th Amendment, a consensus between the leader of opposition in the National Assembly and the prime minister is mandatory for the appointment of the CEC and a caretaker prime minister before elections.

However, after the conviction, the PML-N has refused to accept Mr Gilani as lawful prime minister. Therefore, the PPP leader argued, brinkmanship between the two major parties could prove far more dangerous for democracy this time around than in the past four years.