GUJRAT: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has launched formal preparations for arranging a ‘massive’ reception for party supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif upon his likely return to Pakistan though no date has been announced yet.

Part’s lower tier is under the impression that Nawaz will be back in the mid of next month but the defence minister told a TV channel the return was likely after the retirement of the chief justice of Pakistan on Sept 16.

At a meeting arranged by party’s Gujranwala division president MNA Abid Raza Kotla a couple of days ago, participants comprising Gujrat PML-N officials, former lawmakers and ticket-holders were told to be active.

Former MNAs Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gull, Malik Haneef Awan, ex-MPAs Moin Nawaz Warraich, Haji Nasir Mehmood and others were also among the participants.

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Sources said the participation of former Gujrat municipal corporation mayor Haji Nasir Mahmood in that meeting was a positive development for the party since Mr Mahmood had some serious differences with Abid Raza regarding party affairs in Gujrat district. The former mayor was also removed from the office of party’s district general secretary a few years ago.

Sources said it was also emphasised in the meeting to get rid of internal differences for the better future of the party in the local politics since it (the party) faces serious challenge from PDM ally PML-Q that was interested in seat adjustment with the PML-N, mainly in Gujrat.

One of the participants told Dawn that it was decided to hold fortnightly meetings to review the progress in the preparations to accord a rousing welcome to party leader upon his arrival in Lahore.

He said the senior party leadership had conveyed to the district chapters across Punjab to stage a reception like Benazir Bhutto received upon her landing in Lahore back in 1986.

Adding, he said the meeting expressed its satisfaction over party policy of fielding candidates for all national and provincial assembly seats of Punjab for which the Gujrat PML-N chapter had already sent its list of candidates for all four NA and seven PA seats of the district.

He said the senior party leadership had conveyed to the district chapters to decide the seat adjustment, if required, at their own in any constituency of the respective district.

Earlier, Punjab PML-Q Secretary General Chaudhry Shafay Hussain had hinted at his party’s seat adjustment with the PML-N on various seats of Punjab whereas Punjab PML-N President Rana Sanaullah had announced fielding party’s candidates for all NA and PA seats of the province.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2023