ISLAMABAD, March 22: The chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, will preside over a meeting of the party’s central working committee (CWC) in London on Saturday after a lapse of seven years. A senior PML-N leader told Dawn here on Wednesday that the last time Mr Sharif presided over the party meeting was in March 1999 in which the decision was made to separate the offices of the party and the government.

Mr Sharif, whose government was dismissed by Gen Pervez Musharraf on Oct 12, 1999, remained in exile for five years in Saudi Arabia and he started his political activities after reaching London in January, this year.

Sources said that the London meeting would continue for two days. They said that several important decisions, including the return of Mr Sharif to Pakistan, were expected to be taken at the meeting. The sources said that options of launching an anti-government movement would also be discussed.

They said PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif would brief party leaders about his recent meeting with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto in Dubai.