Nawaz to chair first PML-N huddle today in Pakistan after four years

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif is set to hold the first in-person meeting of his party in Pakistan after four years of self-imposed exile in London to devise the party’s election strategy, sources told Geo News on Tuesday.

According to the TV channel, senior party officials, including Maryam Nawaz and  Hamza Shahbaz, have started gathering at the Jati Umra residence of the three-time prime minister for the important meeting.

Nawaz, who arrived in Pakistan on October 21, will be chairing the party meeting in Pakistan for the first time in four years. During his self-imposed exile, the PML-N leader used to address meetings virtually or the PML-N leadership would meet in London.

Sources said that the party will discuss the current political situation, general elections and other issues. They will also discuss the plan for the resumption of Nawaz’s political activities in Pakistan and the schedule for the PML-N supremo’s countrywide tours will also be discussed in the meeting.

The meeting will also discuss the plans on when to launch the party’s election campaign and election manifesto.

After returning to Pakistan on October 21 after a four-year self-imposed exile, Nawaz has secured notable relief on various legal fronts including Avenfield, Al-Azizia, and Toshakhana cases.

Moreover, the Punjab government also approved the suspension of Nawaz's sentence in the Al-Azizia reference.

The ousted prime minister was handed down a 10-year jail sentence in the Avenfield properties corruption reference for owning assets beyond known income in July 2018 and a year for not cooperating with the anit-graft watchdog — both of the sentences were to be served concurrently.

In the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference, Nawaz was sentenced to seven years in jail on December 24, 2018, and then taken to Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail from where he was shifted to Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail the next day.

The elder Sharif was released from jail in March 2019 and travelled to London for medical treatment in November 2019 after permission from the Lahore High Court. Later, the IHC declared him a proclaimed offender in both cases in December 2020.