LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) held a consultative meeting here on Thursday to take stock of the current situation faced by the country.

The meeting, chaired by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Secretary Ahsan Iqbal, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and other senior party members, sources said.

The sources claimed that the participants discussed in detail the country’s economic and political challenges, and formulated the party’s future strategy aimed at tackling challenges faced by the country.

After the meeting, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the media that the issue of arrest of Lt-General Faiz Hameed (retd) was not discussed in the meeting.

When asked about Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan’s recent statement, Khawaja Asif described Malik Ahmad Khan as his younger brother and added that he would consult him on the matter concerning Lt-General Faiz Hameed (retd), emphasising that he did not wish to create any controversy over the issue.

Responding to another question about the current government, he dismissed the rumours, asserting that the opposition was merely trying to reassure itself by spreading such propaganda.

It may be added that the Punjab Assembly Speaker told the media that the ISPR had already issued a clear stance on the matter of Lt-General Faiz Hameed (retd) and stated that the entire situation culminated with the events of May 9. Moreover, Khawaja Asif said in an interview that the events of May 9, 2023, were part of a complete coup orchestrated by Lt-General Faiz Hameed (retd).

“He was the one who assigned the targets for May 9 and also played a crucial role in protecting PTI founder Imran Khan from the no-confidence motion that eventually led to his ouster. Hameed had clear objectives during the alleged attempted coup, and his actions were pivotal in trying to shield the PTI leader during his political downfall,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024