ISLAMABAD, Aug 12: With barely two days left for golden jubilee anniversary of Pakistan's birth, the Nawaz Sharif Government continues to be in a state of confusion about the celebration programmes while making hasty eleventh hour changes in it.

As per the latest official announcement, there would not be any function inside Parliament as the Government has cancelled a joint session of the both Houses of Parliament earlier scheduled for the occasion.

The session had earlier been planned in line with New Delhi's decision to hold a midnight joint session of Indian Parliament to mark its golden jubilee celebrations.

But the joint session fell victim to an ``unedifying tussle'' between President Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari and Premier Nawaz Sharif, a leading English daily, The News said today.

Quoting ``credible political sources,'' the daily said the cancellation of the session centred on the Government's fear that Leghari might take advantage of the occasion and take his criticism of the Government to a new height, creating an embarrassing situation.

The other reason was to give the Prime Minister an exclusive opportunity to address the nation on the historic occasion, the paper said.

According to an official announcement, Sharif would be addressing the nation at one minute past midnight of August 13 and 14 to mark the beginning of the celebrations.

In a day-long programme on August 14, a series of addresses would be made by the Prime Minister at different places with no official function involving Leghari.

The midnight address by Sharif would be followed by flag-hoisting ceremony in front of Parliament House at 0730 hrs, which would be followed by another address to the nation.

Later in the day, the Prime Minister is scheduled to address the nation from poet Mohammad Iqbal's tomb in Lahore and then Quaide Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah's tomb at Karachi, as per the announcements made earlier.

The differences between the President and Prime Minister had become apparent ever since the Sharif Government brought in a constitutional amendment to clip the wings of the President by taking away power to dismiss a Government.

Later, Leghari had openly criticised the Government for its ``one-sided'' accountability act to remove corruption from high places.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.