Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat called on Saturday on the Arab countries to kick off a dialogue with foreign states to confront terrorism.

“Saudi Arabia should lead a dialogue with Iran and Turkey in order to fight terrorism that is committing crimes in the name of Islam, displacing Christians from the Iraqi state of Mosul and destroying the Arab and Islam diversity,” Jumblat told al-Mustaqbal newspaper.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat warned of the threat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant will have on Lebanon, stressing the need for moderate Islam to hold sway over those susceptible to extremist thought, reported As Safir newspaper on Friday.

He told the daily: “The ISIL mentality will emerge in Lebanon given the collapse of the borders between Iraq and Syria.”

The controversial new pay hike for public employees reached an impasse on Friday despite staunch consultations among parliamentary blocs to reach a breakthrough and end the lingering crisis.

Local newspapers reported that a meeting was held on Thursday night between head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, Health Minister Wael Abou Faour and Lebanese Forces lawmaker George Adwan.

The ongoing debate over the controversial pay hike for public employees is the center of a heated debate among political parties as the Progressive Socialist Party called for a balanced new wage scale.

“Consultations are ongoing between the concerned parties to agree on a balanced pay hike,” PSP chief Walid Jumblat told As Safir newspaper on Thursday.

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Thursday that he didn't tackle the extension of the parliament's term with any political party, pointing out that the priority is for staging the presidential elections.

“Contacts with political powers are focusing on the election of a new head of state and not the parliamentary polls,” Berri said in comments published in As Safir newspaper.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat blasted Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and Free Patriotic Movement head MP Michel Aoun once again on Tuesday, denying that he discussed the presidential impasse with Speaker Nabih Berri or Hizbullah chief Sayyed Nassan Nasrallah.

"Let those among Christian figures who are holding onto their posts be reassured that we did not discuss the presidential vote with (Berri and) Sayyed Hassan,” Jumblat said after holding talks with the speaker in Ain el-Tineh, hitting out at Geagea and Aoun.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat has denied that he asked Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to end his support for Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun's candidacy.

In remarks published in As Safir daily on Monday, Jumblat said he did not make such a request during his recent meeting with Nasrallah.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea played down a recent meeting held between Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat.

The meeting has no political meaning, Geagea told An Nahar newspaper published on Monday.

Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has discussed with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat the need to elect a president as soon as possible and boost coordination among security agencies, both parties announced on Sunday.

The two leaders held their meeting in the presence of Wafiq Safa, head of Hizbullah's Liaison and Coordination Unit, according to a joint statement issued after the talks.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi expressed belief on Sunday that the political powers should elect a consensual president who is not affiliated to March 8 or 14 alliances and considered not provocative.

“As long as the March 14 coalition will not allow the March 8 candidate to reach the presidential post and vise versa, then we should choose a head of state not affiliated to both alliances,” al-Rahi said during Sunday's sermon in his summer seat of Diman.