Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited his family residence in Jati Umra after returning to Lahore from an official trip abroad to hold a key meeting with his elder brother, Nawaz Sharif, who also serves as president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Party insiders said that the two leaders will confer on a range of pressing national matters during their discussions, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Tuesday.
Political analysts noted that the timing of the meeting carried added weight amid the continuing delay in issuing the notification for the newly established Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) post, as well as renewed concerns over security developments on the Afghan frontier.
The CDF position, created under the 27th Constitutional Amendment and replacing the now-abolished office of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), has yet to be formally filled.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had stated on November 30 that the appointment notification would be issued after the prime minister’s return to Pakistan.
Writing on X, he criticised what he termed “unnecessary and irresponsible speculation,” insisting that the process for the appointment had already begun. “Notification will be issued in due course. No room for any conjecturing,” he declared.
The delay has drawn attention in light of the fact that November 29 marked the expiry of the original three-year term of Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.
Observers had expected the first-ever CDF appointment to be announced shortly after the CJCSC office was dissolved on November 27, but the government has yet to formally move ahead.
Sources said the prime minister is scheduled to travel to Islamabad today to attend a joint session of Parliament convened by President Asif Ali Zardari.