After having consultation within the PML-N ranks, Prime Minister-in-waiting Nawaz Sharif has accepted the invitation of President Asif Ali Zardari for participation in a banquet being hosted in honour of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at presidency on May 22. Pakistan would be Chinese Premier Li's second stop on May 22 and 23 in his weeklong overseas trip starting on May 19, in which he would also be visiting India, Germany and Switzerland.
This is Li's first foreign tour since assuming office on March 15. During his stay in Pakistan, the Chinese premier would also meet PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif and the military leadership. This would be Nawaz Sharif's first direct interaction with a foreign leader. Sources claimed that during visit to the presidency, PM-in-waiting Nawaz Sharif is also set to hold an informal meeting with the President Asif Ali Zardari. Although no breakthrough was expected in that meeting, but was expected that there would be some flexibility in the attitude of top leaders, the sources said.
It may be noted that there was no contact between President Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif since May 11, 2013 general elections, although, news were circulated in media that President Zardari through a telephonic contact felicitated Nawaz Sharif over success of his party in the polls. However, the PML-N spokesman denied this news. Sources claimed that the PML-N leadership was staying at distance from the PPP leadership in the wake of past bitter experience, although Nawaz had sought co-operation of all the political stakeholders to steer the country out of prevailing crises.