LAHORE: At a time when multiple challenges are buffeting the government, the prime minister brought together some of his friends and businessmen under one roof at his Raiwind residence on Thursday evening. The objective: to seek their advice on how to improve governance.

No minister was invited to the conclave, which lasted around two hours, a guest told Dawn. Even Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, who is seen as an integral member of Mr Sharif’s inner cabinet, was conspicuous by his absence. Sources said another round of consultations will follow shortly.

Nawaz Sharif was advised by his friends in plain language that he must do something to undo the “one-man-show” image about his rule. He was further advised to bring in some new faces in his team to make it more effective.

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“Do something soon to bring the country back from the abyss before it’s too late,” a friend urged the prime minister.

Infighting within the PML-N was held up as an area that was crying out for immediate attention at the highest level.

The prime minister admitted during the consultations that some steps did not go down well with certain quarters and that the situation would remain complicated until March next year, referring to some local and international factors.

During this period the US will pull out its forces from Afghanistan, elections will be held for the US Congress while certain changes are also due in the local establishment.

Mr Sharif was quoted as saying that unlike the last two regimes, he had kept a distance from low-ranking US visitors. But even this did not go down well in Washington, implying that Americans could also be blamed for the political quagmire.

He also point out, dejection writ large on his face, that his overtures to Afghanistan were not reciprocated.

About the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Aug 14 march on Islamabad, the prime minister told the meeting that no step would be taken that could lead to clash between law-enforcers and activists.

The participants were also informed that a Track-II channel was working to persuade PTI chief Imran Khan to refrain from doing anything that could “endanger democracy”.

Mr Sharif was convinced that ordinary measures would fail to defuse the volatile situation and that some face-saving would have to be offered to Mr Khan, eg allowing the PTI to go ahead with its march plan but in a manner agreed to by both sides.

The prime minister was curious to know why the PTI chairman had suddenly changed his tone and started rejecting talks offer on poll rigging after his recent London visit, the source concluded.

Published in Dawn, Aug 2nd , 2014