LAHORE: PML-N MPA Mian Jaleel Ahmed Sharaqpuri, who had distanced himself from his party supremo Nawaz Sharif’s speech at the opposition parties’ multi-party conference ‘for being against state institutions’, on Sunday called on PTI central Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry at party’s secretariat and discussed local political matters.

It may be mentioned that the PML-N leadership has suspended him from the party as he insisted that he would not `lie’. Mr Sharaqpuri said Nawaz Sharif’s anti-military speech in the MPC was against the national interests.

Ejaz Chaudhry lauded Mr Sharaqpuri for his stance on the [Nawaz’s] speech and added that even the PML-N parliamentarians had started expressing their distrust of convicted Nawaz Sharif.

He alleged that Mr Sharif tried to appease India and Israel through his speech.

Mr Sharaqpuri was an active member of the PTI and actively participated in its 126-day sit-in at D-Chowk, Islamabad.

He had, however, joined the PML-N just two days before the 2018 general elections, when he was denied party ticket to contest the Punjab Assembly election from PP-139 (Sheikhupura-V) constituency.

He was among some PML-N MPAs from Punjab who met PM Imran Khan and CM Buzdar in June last year, just after a multi-party conference by the opposition parties.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2020