The top PML-N leadership yesterday rejected ‘minus-Nawaz’ formula for the ruling party and warned they would not accept any unconstitutional step in the country. Speaking after a key meeting in London, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and incumbent Premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi both rubbished rumours of any rift within the party.
Nawaz Sharif said he would return to Pakistan this week to appear before an accountability court hearing three National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references against him and his children.
Besides Nawaz , his sons Hassan Nawaz and Hussain Nawaz , PM Abbasi, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar attended the meeting at Hasan’s residence.
They discussed the political challenges to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and corruption references filed by the NAB against Sharifs and Ishaq Dar.
All the party leaders reiterated their support for the former prime minister at the meeting and said a minus-Nawaz formula was totally unacceptable to them, TV reports quoted sources as saying.
They decided that the party would not let any efforts to remove the former premier from the post of the party chief succeed. The participants of the meeting also opposed any supra constitutional step.
There were unconfirmed reports earlier that the establishment has conveyed to some leaders of the ruling party to sideline Nawaz Sharif and his political heir-apparent Maryam Nawaz for survival of their government and future political prospects.
Also there were news reports in the national media about emergence of a group within the party that wanted Shehbaz Sharif to assume the driving seat and take the party out of the crises.
Speaking to the media after the London meeting, Prime Minister Abbasi rejected the notion that Shehbaz may replace his brother as the party chief. He said he took a day’s leave to meet the ex-PM in his “personal capacity”.
Nawaz in his media talk said the Panama Papers trial was not fair and he understands what was going on currently. He further said he would return to Pakistan on November 2 to appear before the accountability court to face the three NAB cases.
Express Tribune quoted source as saying that Monday’s talks aimed at ironing out internal party differences and evaluating legal options for Sharif regarding the trial at the accountability court. They added that Dar was part of the parleys but was kept out of the consultation process.
Nawaz Sharif reportedly also held a separate meeting with PM Abbasi in the office of Hussain Nawaz , which was also attended by Shehbaz.
Interestingly, the PML-N leaders landed in the British capital on different pretexts. Abbasi left Islamabad on Sunday, citing ‘personal’ engagements. Shehbaz flew from Lahore to ‘see his sister-in-law, Kulsoom Nawaz’. Dar went to in London for ‘medical treatment’, and Sharif went from Jeddah to attend his ailing wife.
Nawaz is expected to return to Pakistan on Nov 2. He was earlier expected to return to the country on October 23 to appear before the accountability court but changed the plan and proceeded to Saudi Arabia instead.
On Thursday, the Islamabad accountability court issued bailable arrest warrants against the former premier after he failed to appear before the court in connection with three NAB references.
Judge Muhammad Bashir dismissed Nawaz’s application for exemption from personal appearance, and issued warrants in two references, while in the third reference, he issued notice to a surety giver.
On Monday, the court also issued bailable arrest warrants against Finance Minister Ishaq Dar for failing to appear in connection with a NAB reference, directed him to appear before the court on Nov 2.
Nawaz in his media talk asked, “What kind of stability, what kind of progress can be expected when an elected PM is disqualified in Panama [Papers case] in the name of Iqama.”
He claimed credit for economic progress of the country, bringing international cricket to Pakistan, and reducing load-shedding. “Our government has done a lot for the country, but when the government is weakened, the country weakens.”
Earlier upon his arrival in London, PM Abbasi told reporters that there was no rift among national institutions and he neither believed in conspiracy theories nor there was any room for those in the country.
He said both the political and military leadership is sitting together during the recent meeting with the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Islamabad and all of the country’s institutions are collectively playing their role for national development, he added.
Abbasi reiterated that there was no provision for a technocrat government in the country’s Constitution.
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