ISLAMABAD, April 14: President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday suspended the party’s basic membership of prominent leader and MNA from Lahore Khawaja Saad Rafiq for three months on charges of violating party discipline. Talking to Dawn, PML-N Secretary-General Iqbal Zafar Jhagra said the decision had been taken by the party Quaid, Nawaz Sharif, and President Shahbaz Sharif after consultation withthe local leadership.

The secretary-general was of the view that the decision to suspend the membership of Mr Rafiq for a period of three months was the best course adopted by the PML-N leadership in order to maintain discipline within the party ranks.

In reply to a question, Mr Jhagra said the party leadership would monitor the behaviour and performance of Mr Rafiq in the next three months and consider restoring his basic membership if he showed improvement in his conduct. He expressed the hope that Mr Rafiq would mend his ways and would not indulge in further violation of the discipline.

Meanwhile, PML-N Information Secretary Siddiqul Farooque said in the suspension order, Shahbaz Sharif had stated that Mr Rafiq had caused a serious damage to the party due to his indiscipline. The PML-N president, he said, had also termed Mr Rafiq’s reply to the show-cause notice “unsatisfactory.”

When contacted, Mr Rafiq said so far he had not received the suspension order. The MNA said he would announce his future strategy after consulting his friends. He, however, said he would not make any “emotional decision”. He said Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif were his leaders and neither he could leave them nor they wanted to leave him. Mr Rafiq made it clear that he would not let the party disintegrate.

PML-N information secretary Siddiqul Farooque said the suspension order had already been delivered at the residence of Mr Rafiq in Islamabad and it had also been sent through a courier service to his Lahore’s residence.