LAHORE: Another PML-N ‘rebel’ MPA, who had openly taken on former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for criticising the incumbent army leadership, returned to the party fold on Monday after a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz.

“I met Hamza Shehbaz on his wish and told him that I had no issue with the party leadership. PML-N leaders Rana Tanvir and Javed Latif had approached me and conveyed the message of Nawaz Sharif to shun differences [and return to the party fold],” Mian Jalil Ahmed Sharaqpuri told reporters at Awan-i-Iqbal where the PML-N government is holding its own Punjab Assembly session.

The PML-N lawmaker, however, was not happy with the party’s Punjab president and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah for expelling him from the party of the Sharifs. “I asked the leadership who was Rana Sanaullah to expel me from the party?”

When remained that he was very critical of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif for targeting the army leadership and had even asked him to return to the country to face corruption cases, Mr Sharaqpuri said: “There should not be any criticism of the armed forces.”

Before Mr Sharaqpuri, the PML-N leadership had successfully roped in two other rebel MPAs — Ashraf Ansari from Gujranwala and Muhammad Ghiasuddin from Narowal — primarily in a bid to strengthen the party’s position in the Punjab Assembly where Hamza Shehbaz has lost majority after the Election Commission of Pakistan de-seated 25 PTI lawmakers for voting him in the election for the chief minister.

Rana Sanaullah had in October 2020 expelled the late Nishat Ahmed Daha, Faisal Niazi, Mr Sharaqpuri, Muhammad Ghiasuddin and Ashraf Ansari from the party.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2022