LONDON: PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif chaired another huddle with party leaders on Saturday, marking day three of consultative meetings being held between the London-based leadership and visiting party representatives ahead of Maryam Nawaz’s arrival next week.

Ms Nawaz, federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, Javed Latif, Senator Afnanullah Khan and former senator Chaudhry Saud Majid spent hours in the meeting at Stanhope House over the weekend, discussing the party’s election strategy as well as the possible return of the former prime minister.

PML-N meeting discusses strategy for elections

Outside Stanhope House, when pressed by reporters to comment on who will lead the party’s election campaign for provincial polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr Nawaz said he would talk on the issue soon.

When asked why PTI is creating a controversy about the appointment of a non-controversial caretaker set-up, Nawaz Sharif said, “This is their manifesto”. Sources earlier told Dawn that Mr Sanaullah was especially called to London by the PML-N supremo to discuss the party’s election strategy.

Mr Sanaullah told reporters there is a change of plans and Ms Nawaz would leave London on Jan 27 for Dubai and arrive in Lahore on Jan 28.

When asked to comment on Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid’s claim that there will be defections in PML-N, and whether the departure of Pir Aminul Hasnaat is one of them, Mr Sanaullah said, “We didn’t give him a ticket in the last general election, and I haven’t seen him in the last five years. Perhaps he felt there was no place for him in the PML-N so he changed his route.”

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2023