6
LAHORE: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was released from jail on Wednesday, will start holding consultative meetings with party stalwarts after Ashura to chalk out a strategy to raise the issue of ‘rigging’ in the July 25 elections inside and outside parliament, says a senior party leader.
On Thursday, Mr Sharif spent time with his family members and relatives at his Jati Umra residence. A good number of PML-N workers who had gathered outside Jati Umra wanted to see Mr Sharif, but security staff did not let them in. PML-N leaders — former federal minister Abdul Qadir Baloch and former Punjab Assembly speaker Rana Iqbal — had to return from Jati Umra after they were told that Mr Sharif would not meet any political workers till Friday (Ashura).
“Mian sahib will finalise a strategy after meeting the party leaders regarding raising the issue of massive rigging in 2018 elections. Unlike the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, we will take a mature decision. But one thing is clear we have not accepted the PTI government that is formed in the wake of rigged polls,” PML-N information secretary Senator Mushahidullah Khan told Dawn on Thursday.
He said keeping mum over the issue amounted to compromising the narrative of Nawaz Sharif. “We are not ruling out taking to the streets on the rigging issue, but its timing will be decided at an appropriate moment by Mr Sharif,” the senator said.
The PTI government has recently proposed formation of a parliamentary committee on the opposition’s demand to probe charges of rigging in the elections. It said the committee would be formed through a resolution in the National Assembly while Speaker Asad Qaiser would decide its composition.
Mushahidullah Khan said his party was not sure how long the government would take to form the probe body, but it (PML-N) would prove at a certain forum how ‘hidden hands’ managed to steal the mandate of the PML-N and formed the PTI government. “Everyone knows the PTI’s government is a puppet and installed to achieve certain goals. Nawaz Sharif and his party will continue fighting for the respect of the ballot. If anyone thinks that Mian sahib will budge from its narrative — civilian supremacy, respect of Constitution and law — they are living in a fool’s paradise. We will not let the PTI come out clean,” he added.
About another legal battle for the Sharifs in two other corruption references and NAB’s appeal against the suspension of their sentence, the PML-N information secretary said: “The Sharif family is ready to face other ‘phony’ references. The PML-N is standing by its leader come what may.”
The release of Nawaz Sharif has given a fresh impetus to the party which many in the PML-N believe will improve its performance both in and outside parliament. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Shahbaz was facing a lot of criticism for his failure to put up a brave face of opposition since he was elevated as PML-N president.
“After the release of Nawaz Sharif, the role of Shahbaz in the party affairs will get further minimised as main leaders will get directives directly from Nawaz Sharif,” a PML-N leader from Punjab said. He said that in the coming days, a ‘new PML-N’ would be seen both in parliament and outside under Nawaz Sharif.
Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Captain Mohammad Safdar were released from Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail and flown to their residence in Lahore on Wednesday night after the Islamabad High Court suspended their sentences till a decision on their appeals.
The Islamabad accountability court had on July 6 sentenced Nawaz Sharif, Maryam and Safdar to 10 years, seven years and one-year imprisonment, respectively, in the Avenfield properties reference. Mr Sharif and Maryam were arrested on July 13 on their arrival at the Lahore airport from London and shifted to Adiala jail. The National Accountability Bureau has announced challenging the IHC decision in the apex court.
Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2018
