LAHORE: Believing that the party’s supreme leader will return despite being convicted by the accountability court, local PML-N leaders said Nawaz Sharif’s return is all the more necessary to revive ideological politics and for building momentum of the party’s election campaign.

“Mian Sahib should immediately return if he wishes to take his ideological fight against non-democratic forces to its logical end. His homecoming will also boost the morale of party activists needed to ensure win in the polls,” said Naeem Mir, who represents the trading community, a virtual constituency of the PML-N, in the party.

He further said the verdict has sent a negative message to the rank and file of the party putting workers under pressure, and cautioned that the pressure would not go away if the supremo did not return even if he will be directly sent to prison.

PML-N Media Coordinator Muhammad Mehdi asserted that the conviction of Nawaz Sharif will work opposite to what to what was expected by those who wished to see the party leadership removed from public scene.

History was proof that reaction against allegedly unjustified treatment of a party leader added to the popularity of the party instead of going against it, Mehdi said in reference to the hanging of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

He claimed that Friday’s verdict did not shock party activists as they were expecting it for long. Those who had to quit the party had already done so and there was no chance of further defections.

Chaudhry Abbas Jutt, chairman of a Shahdara union council, said they were not deterred by the conviction of their leader and were rather happy that he was sticking to his stance of fighting for “respect for vote” despite all odds and was ready to be imprisoned for the cause.

Soon after culmination of a corner meeting held in the area and addressed by former MNA Hamza Shahbaz, Mr Jutt said they will peacefully protest the “unjustified” conviction whenever the party asked them to. So far, he said, they were directed to remain indoors and wait for a call from the central leadership.

Meanwhile, a handful of PML-N workers on Friday held demonstrations at two spots in the city.

Over a dozen activists gathered at the Model Town party office and lodged a protest. PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and senior party leaders were present inside the office, but none joined the workers.

Shouting slogans against the court verdict, the workers expressed solidarity with Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz and vowed to join hands with the former premier in his struggle for “respect for the ballot”.

A few activists also held a demonstration outside the press club.

Published in Dawn, July 07th, 2018