LAHORE: Kicking off 2018 election campaign, the ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday decided in principle to make his family’s Model Town residence the “political headquarters” of the PML-N for the forthcoming polls.

The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting presided over by Mr Sharif at his Jati Umra, Raiwind, residence here. Maryam Nawaz, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique, former law minister Zahid Hamid, adviser to the prime minister Musaddiq Malik and Hamza Shahbaz, son of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, were also present in the meeting.

Hamza, who was previously using the 18-H, Model Town, residence for the local body elections and by-polls, was especially called to convey the decision.

“The PML-N’s 2018 election campaign today (is) kicked off. The Model Town residence will be the party’s headquarters from where the election campaign 2018 will be monitored. Various party cells like election, media and legal will operate (from) there. The meetings of party leaders and workers will also be held there in connection with the forthcoming elections,” Senator Pervaiz Rashid told Dawn after the meeting.

He said Mr Sharif had called the party’s central working committee next week to approve the decision. “We have not spent a penny on this office from the government’s kitty. Today we did our homework regarding working of different cells and committees in connection with this year’s election. In the next week’s meeting we will also constitute the election board (for short-listing of candidates),” Mr Rashid said, expressing the hope the party would sweep the election.

The Model Town residence of the Sharifs remained chief minister’s camp office till it was de-notified to facilitate Maryam Nawaz to run NA-120 by-poll campaign from there, last September. After running a successful by-poll campaign for her ailing mother Kulsoom, Maryam also held a social media convention a couple of months ago. With Maryam taking over the residence during NA-120 by-poll, Hamza’s political activities there virtually ended.

Khwaja Saad Rafique said the party’s preparations for 2018 election were under way and several decision would be made at the central working committee (next week).

To a question whether the meeting discussed the possible replacement of Mr Sharif if he was removed from the office of PML-N president by the Supreme Court, Mr Rafique said: “No such discussion was held. Nawaz Sharif is our supreme leader. We have made the law (enabling Mr Sharif to become PML-N chief) after deliberations. It was the same law which was framed by Z A Bhutto and later deleted by Gen Musharraf.”

On Monday, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said Nawaz Sharif would continue to lead the PML-N even in case of an adverse verdict. The Supreme Court has reserved the verdict on the petition seeking removal of Nawaz Sharif as the party’s head.

Nawaz Sharif, during a recent public rally, expressed his fear that the court might bar him from holding the party office.

The minister tried to dispel the impression that there had been any fight between the parliament and the judiciary. “All institutions should be respected, including the parliament. The parliament should also be given respect,” he said and clarified that Nawaz Sharif did not say any thing against the Supreme Court. “Giving opinion on the decisions of the court is everyone’s right.”

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2018