LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-N announced on Wednesday its plan for countrywide protest against the Supreme Court’s decision of disqualifying its leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif and imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab.

It outlined what the party called a three-pronged strategy — using street power, challenging governor’s rule in court and waging ‘official’ protests in national and provincial assemblies.

The most difficult part of the strategy will be the legal battle against the governor’s rule because the PML-N does not recognise the present courts.

The PML-N convened a late-night meeting of its legal advisers to decide the best way to challenge the governor’s rule because it does not want the issue to be left ‘unchallenged’.

Insiders said the party was expected to move through a ‘third party’ arrangement.

All party leaders and legislators have been asked to make arrangements for Thursday’s protest and ensure their participation. They have also been asked to reach Lahore on Thursday for a meeting to devise plans for future protests.

The PML-N also decided to forcefully raise the issue in national and provincial assemblies. On Wednesday evening, it submitted a requisition for a Punjab assembly session. It was signed by 95 MPAs.

The session convened at 8pm was marred by full-throated slogans and protests against the SC verdict and governor’s rule.

The federal government tried to pre-empt the assembly session by imposing the governor’s rule, but some 132 MPAs entered the assembly. The session was continuing till the filing of this report.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, is likely to request Speaker Dr Fahmida Mirza on Thursday to convene a session as early as possible.

Senior PML-N leader Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa has been charged with keeping the party united in Punjab.

Sources said the PML-N feared losing some of its MPAs after a reported meeting of more than 10 of its legislators with Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo last month. “The PML-N has decided to first retain all its MPAs and then to work on the forward bloc of the PML-Q,” they said.

Forward bloc’s leader Mian Atta Mohammad Maneka is expected to meet Mian Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday.