PML-N gearing up to accord historic welcome to Nawaz Sharif: Sanaullah

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Friday that preparations for a historic welcome to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif are in full swing.

In conversation with journalists during a press conference in Lahore, the minister said: "We have kicked off work on arrangements from today. Workers from every union council will come to greet the party president holding banners with Nawaz Sharif's name inscribed on them." 

"Nawaz Sharif's welcome reception will decide [who wins] the general election."

Three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif left for London in November 2019 following his illness. He has been living in the UK capital city in self-exile.

Similarly, PML-N senior leader and Economic Affairs Minister Sardar Ayaz Sadiq claimed on Tuesday the elder Sharif is coming in January next year.

The PML-N leader made the claim while speaking on Geo News' programme "Capital Talk".

Nawaz will allocate tickets to the candidates for the next general elections, Ayaz Sadiq said, adding that the polls would be held in 2023.

Who tricked Daily Mail?

Sanaullah said UK’s Daily Mail finally admitted its smear campaign against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was an error, however, in this entire matter, it was yet to be found out as to who conned the British publication into making this ‘mistake’.

Earlier on Thursday PM Shehbaz received a much-awaited apology for each and every allegation of corruption published by the owners of Mail newspapers in an article by reporter David Rose. The publication also removed all the material related to this issue as soon as the decision was announced.

Rose had accused the premier and his son-in-law Imran Ali Yousaf of stealing British taxpayers’ money.

“These fraudsters [PTI] called the Mail correspondent and tricked him,” Sanaullah said talking to journalists.

He said Daily Mail’s news report was not only against the Sharif family but also detrimental to the country.

“Don’t know where that brazen [PTI leader] Shahzad Akbar is holed up,” the minister said adding,” He (Akbar) swindled the country out of millions and billions.

He said Imran Khan and Shahzad Akbar should apologise to the nation.

“It’s time for the nation to recognise their repulsive faces,” the interior minister said.

The British publication also removed the article — “Did the family of Pakistani politician who has become the poster boy for British overseas aid STEAL funds meant for earthquake victims, asks David Rose” — written by David Rose from all platforms of Mail publishers.

The United Kingdom-based publication has failed to prove the allegations levelled by its journalist David Rose in an article against Premier Shehbaz about the alleged misappropriation of public funds.

The Daily Mail took down its article Thursday within minutes after informing the court that it had decided not to go for the trial and decided to settle the case with PM Shehbaz and Yousaf.

Not just that, Daily Mail has promised it will work with Google to remove every link that contained allegations of corruption against the incumbent prime minister, based on Daily Mail’s sensational but false article.

Credible sources inside the newspaper said that it was advised by its lawyers on several occasions that it had no chance of winning the defamation case against PM Shehbaz at the trial as the allegations of corruption were unfounded, baseless, and politically motivated.

The newspaper will never be able to bring any evidence to support its exaggerated claims of corruption and wrongdoing, the sources quoted the lawyers as saying.