Sharif greets top civil, military leadership on Eid

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday telephoned President Dr Arif Alvi, chief ministers of all four provinces, leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) component parties, and political leadership to extend Eid ul-Fitr greetings.

A day after his similar conversations with the leaders of Muslim nations, the prime minister communicated with the civil and military leadership and exchanged greetings, and discussed the domestic political landscape.

Sharif also telephoned Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas and conveyed greetings to the people of the autonomous region.

Moreover, he also condemned the ban on Eid prayer congregations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and reiterated Pakistan’s resolve to continue extending political, moral and diplomatic support until the people of the disputed region secure their right to self-determination.

He also interacted with the chief ministers of Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan as well as the acting governor of Balochistan.

However, he could not converse with the Balochistan chief minister as he was abroad.

Sharif telephoned Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and extended greetings. The father-son duo thanked the prime minister for the call and reciprocated the greetings.

He also phoned the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazl ur-Rehman who congratulated him on his successful visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

In his conversation with Jamaat-i-Islami emir Siraj ul-Haq, the prime minister exchanged Eid greetings and discussed the political situation.

Sharif also interacted with Communications Minister Maulana Asad Mahmood, Mohsin Dawar, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Akhtar Mengal, Professor Sajid Mir, Khalid Magsi, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Ali Nawaz Shah, Shahzain Bugti, Aslam Bhootani and Chaudhry Salik Hussain.

The prime minister inquired from Hussain about the health condition of his father and PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and expressed good wishes for the latter's speedy recovery.

Sharif also telephoned the three services chiefs -- Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, Naval Chief Admiral Amjad Niazi and Air Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu -- and extended Eid greetings to them.

The prime minister phoned Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) chairman Lt. Gen. Nadeem Raza.