LAHORE: Rejecting the reports of differences among the Sharifs, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb says the family has always remained united and will remain so in the future.

Speaking in a press conference here on Sunday, she said the party president Shehbaz Sharif had been talking of democracy and supremacy of the public mandate and there was no difference on this or any other matter between him and PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif. She denied the reports of divergence of views in the house of the Sharifs.

Read more: A Pakistan Muslim League without the Sharifs. Yes, it may happen

Ms Aurangzeb said the party president chaired a consultation on Sunday on arranging an enthusiastic welcome to Nawaz and his daughter, Maryam, when the duo would land in Lahore on Friday (July 13).

Forms committee to welcome Nawaz in Lahore

A committee, led by Senator Raja Zafarul Haq with Pervaiz Rashid, Mushahid Hussain, Pervaiz Malik, Amir Muqam, Shah Muhammad Shah, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Hamza and she herself, had been formed to oversee the arrangements for the welcome to the party leaders, she added.

“The welcome reception (for Nawaz and Maryam) would be peaceful but historic and the law won’t be taken into hands.”

Answering a question about the ‘subdued’ protests by the party activists against the accountability court verdict, Marriyum Aurangzeb said the PML-N wasn’t Imran-led PTI that it would create chaos in the country by giving a call for lockdown of the federal capital or attacking and occupying the national TV network.

“The party has raised the slogan of ‘give respect to ballot’ and the voters will respond to it by giving a historic mandate to the PML-N on July 25.”

Criticising the accountability court verdict, Ms Aurangzeb said the Sharifs were sentenced on the basis of assumptions instead of solid evidence and the court itself had declared that no hint of embezzlement of public money was found against the PML-N leaders in any project.

She said no documents were produced to prove that Avenfield property belonged to Mr Sharif while retired Captain Safdar, husband of Maryam Nawaz, was convicted on the allegation that his wife had allegedly connived with her father in the commission of the presumed corruption.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2018