Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday said that the party would welcome all those former PML-N members who wanted to come back at this defining moment between democracy and dictatorship.
PML-N acting President Javed Hashmi said this at a press conference, where an MNA of ruling league Akhtar Kanju, from Southern Punjab announced to join Nawaz league protesting against President's plan to get himself re-elected in uniform.
Javed Hashmi, flanked by party secretary general Iqbal Zafar Jhagah, Central Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan reaffirmed that party chief and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif along with his family would land in Islamabad on September 10 and warned the government of serious consequences if it tried to create hurdles.
PML leader said that Sharif family would be warmly welcomed by the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), where besides political activists, leaders of legal fraternity and civil society organisations would also be specially invited. "People would resist if government tried to create any obstacles", he maintained.
He, however, did not disclose the line of reaction in case the government deports or puts Sharifs in jails, saying that it would be decided at the meeting of APDM scheduled to be held on Friday (today).
He also sought support of all the democratic forces, lawyers, civil society organisations and masses in welcoming the Sharif family for what he termed a 'general referendum for democracy on September 10. He said that nation should demonstrate on September 10 that dictatorship is no more acceptable.
Hashmi further said that the lawyer movement against General Pervez Musharraf launched from Thursday would also be supported to oust the dictators from the corridors of power. If at this decisive moment, he said, any politician irrespective of his affiliation announces to cast his/her vote against the dictatorship, would be welcomed in PML-N, he maintained.
On the occasion, Akthar Kanju said that "I have been fighting against the policies of ruling League for the last two and half years and took stance on the anti-democratic attitude of the rulers". He said that "I have left with no option but to unconditionally join PML-N for the sack of democracy".
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said PML-N has a long list of those politicians who wished to rejoin PML-N and final approval would be given by the party chief Mian Nawaz Sharif.