Nawaz meets Shehbaz, other party leaders, discusses polls

LAHORE: Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) supremo Nawaz Sharif met different party leaders including former premier Shehbaz Sharif, here on Thursday. Along with party Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz, he reached the PMLN Model Town office and spent a busy day there. Shehbaz, in his meeting, congratulated his brother Nawaz Sharif on his acquittal in Avenfield reference. He expressed good wishes for him and also felicitated Maryam Nawaz.

 They discussed current political situation and issues related to the upcoming elections. Later, former federal minister and PMLN Punjab President Rana Sanaullah and PMLN leader Ayaz Sadiq also reached the party office and met Nawaz Sharif. Later on, while talking to the media, Rana said Nawaz Sharif got justice after seven years in Avenfield reference. 

He said Al-Azizia reference was a fraud in which the decision had already been announced against the late judge Malik Arshad. He demanded that Al-Azizia decision should not stand and it should be abolished through a suo moto notice.

He said according to the decision under which Nawaz Sharif was removed as the party head, today the same decision was applicable to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan. He said it was, in fact, divine justice.

About finalising candidates for the upcoming general election, Rana said: “We have decided the agenda for the party meetings of the parliamentary boards and Nawaz Sharif will personally meet each candidate in the board meeting of each division.” He said after the meetings, names of the party candidates would be announced.

Replying to another question, Rana Sanaullah said in the past, wrong verdicts were given against Nawaz Sharif, which were a stain on the forehead of the judiciary. “The sooner these judgments are overturned, the better it is for the judiciary,” he commented.

Answering a question, he said after judicial interpretation of 62(1)f, the Parliament had made a new law, which had not been challenged yet. He said the law, as it stands at the moment, says that disqualification would not be for life but for five years only.

Rana Sana claimed that under the current law, disqualification would be for five years, and according to the new law, Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification had ended.

“It is sad that there are talks of postponement of elections after [Chief Justice of Pakistan] Qazi Faez Isa announced the date of election after taking everyone into confidence,” Rana replied to a question about rumours about delay.

Meanwhile, PMLN Senior Vice President and Chief Organizer Maryam Nawaz met divisional and district youth coordinators from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The consultation on the appointment of youth coordinators at the union council level was discussed in the meeting.

“Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa needs the PMLN the most,” Maryam said, adding that during the past 10 years, the province was deprived of development and was pushed to the verge of financial collapse. “In last 10 years, the worst corruption and loot continued in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the name of BRT and billion tree tsunami [projects],” Maryam alleged.