DHAKA: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday sought the support of all parties in Parliament as the political logjam continued after several rounds of talks.

“I hope the opposition will continue on its path of supporting the government,” Sharif said on the fourth day of the emergency joint session of the Parliament.

He convened to support the Premier and discuss the over three weeks-long crisis that has led to the cancellation of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s maiden visit to Pakistan, reports the Times of India.

Prime Minister Sharif’s remarks came after overnight parleys between the government and the protesting groups --the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri's Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) -- failed to break any ice on the issue of the Premier’s resignation.

A key member of the PTI negotiating team dispelled an impression that the party was about to seal a deal with the government and end the political stalemate.

As the deadlock continued, Sharif said “I assure you that if it was the PPP government instead of PML-N’s and we were in the opposition, we would have stuck by the PPP.”

BDST: 1919 HRS, SEP 5, 2014