ISLAMABAD: The luncheon hosted in honour of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday turned out to be an opportunity for political ‘friends and foes’ to sit together.
The country’s mainstream political parties including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Awami Muslim League, that came eyeball to eyeball in the election campaign, got together at the invitation of President Asif Ali Zardari.
There was a melange of political leaders, including PML-N chief Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Maulana Fazlur Rehman of JUI-F, ANP’s Haji Adeel and Shahi Syed, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed of AML, PPPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Ijaz ul Haq of PML (Zia), Senator Mushahidullah (PML-N), Senators Aitezaz Ahsan and Babar Awan (PPPP) and Hasil Bazenjo (senior vice president of National Party).
At the main luncheon table, Mian Nawaz Sharif sat next to President Asif Ali Zardari at his right, while Premier Li and Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khoso were seated at the President’s left.Many of the politicians from different parties greeted and embraced each other, whereas some were seen avoiding encounters.The politicians witnessed the investiture ceremony of the Chinese Premier, who was conferred on Nishan-e-Imtiaz by President Zardari. – APP
