LAHORE: In a desperate bid to motivate the workers to go to Lahore on PML-N supremo’s homecoming on Oct 21, a PML-N ex-MNA and brother of former Supreme Court judge has told them (workers) that they will go to heaven if they attend the Minar-i-Pakistan rally.

Former MNA from Toba Tek Singh Asadur Rehman, a brother of SC’s former judge Khalilur Rehman Ramdey, told a party’s corner meeting the other day that these were the difficult times and those who would attend the homecoming of Nawaz Sharif on Saturday (Oct 21) in Lahore would go direct to heaven.

“Those present in this (corner) meeting will go to heaven for sure besides those going to Lahore to greet Nawaz Sharif on Oct 21,” the PML-N leader said and minced no words in saying as how in the past those who stood by the party during hard times, were put in the list by angels for going to Paradise. The video clip of Rehman’s speech also went viral on social media.

With a view to achieving the [attendees] target given by the leadership, former MNAs and MPAs especially from Punjab are holding corner meetings with the workers of their respective constituencies on a daily basis and motivating them in one way or another to make sure that they do not fall short of the task on the given day.

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Earlier, in such meetings some PML-N leaders were seen promising new motorcycles for those workers who manage to achieve the target of dispatching a certain number of people to Minar-i-Pakistan.

Similarly, PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanuallah has told every district president of the party to meet their targets of bringing the workers to the Nawaz reception rally and also warned that those workers committing to reach Minar-i-Pakistan their presence would be checked through geo-fencing.

The PML-N Punjab leadership is making frantic efforts to make the Nawaz homecoming historic.

“The PML-N has categorically told the [ticket] aspirants that their candidature might not be considered if they failed to meet the required target on Oct 21,” a party insider told Dawn on Tuesday.

Nawaz Sharif is currently in Saudi Arabia and he will leave for Pakistan via Dubai on coming Saturday and address a rally at Minar-i-Pakistan.

The elder Sharif left for London in the middle of his seven-year jail term in Al-Azizia corruption case on ‘medical grounds’ in 2019 after the Lahore High Court granted him bail for ‘four weeks’. During these four years, he was declared a proclaimed offender in Al-Azizia and Avenfield graft cases for his continuous absence from the proceedings.

Meanwhile, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif met the Lahore chapter party leaders here in Model Town and reviewed the preparations regarding the return of Nawaz.

“Upon his return Nawaz Sharif will steer the country out of crises. He will prove that all can be well [on track] again,” he said.

Shehbaz said under the leadership of Nawaz the party would live up to the expectations of the people.

Meanwhile, PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz has said her father Nawaz Sharif will realise the charter of economy on his return to the country on Oct 21.

Talking to traders here on Tuesday, she said the PML-N after coming to power would bring about reforms in bureaucracy and FBR besides eliminating the victimisation policy of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to safeguard the business community.

She further said the business would flourish on the return of Nawaz Sharif.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2023