The senior leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday urged party president and Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif to return to the country from London and to lead the party into a protest mode against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders made this recommendation in a PML-N Parliamentary party meeting held at the Parliament on Tuesday. They said that Shahbaz Sharif may come back from London and play his due role in the politics of the country.
Shahbaz left for London last year in November, along with his elder brother and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was seeking medical treatment. The Lahore High Court had allowed Shahbaz Sharif to go to London for medical treatment along with his elder brother Nawaz Sharif. Both have not returned despite the expiration of bail given to the elder Sharif by the Punjab government.
According to the sources, there was a heated exchange between PML-N leaders Khwaja Asif, Pir Sabir Shah and Mian Javed Latif during party's parliamentary meeting. Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha of the PML-N during the meeting of the parliamentary party said that Opposition Leader Mian Shahbaz Sharif should return from London and play his role in the politics of the country.
Senator Pir Sabir Shah complained that the party had "suffered damage by standing behind the stance [Vote ko Izzat Do] of party supremo Nawaz Sharif". He said that the PML-N should have "taken advantage of the PTI's poor performance", adding that the party's performance in the parliament had disappointed the people. He went on to warn that if the party did not stick to Nawaz's stance, it would lose the support of the masses.
Sabir Shah also demanded better representations of all the provinces in the party and criticized the way decision-making remained in the hands of the leaders belonging to Punjab. "Party should give representation to leaders from provinces other than Punjab in its decision-making process, even if it is only symbolic," he added.
PML-N leader Javed Latif also spoke during the meeting, and said that the party leadership should consult more members before making decisions. He insisted that the party should take practical steps as "targets cannot be achieved by talking". He urged the party leadership to "move forward and prepare the party for protest". Latif also predicted that the party would have to face tough criticism as it had "made a mistake, which would be realized in times to come". He did not specify the "mistake" he was referring to.
Khwaja Asif urged members to stick to party lines and follow the narrative set by the party leadership. He termed the criticism of party policy as "beauty of democracy" on a question by the media.
Talking to the media, Pir Sabir Shah said that he voiced his opinion openly in the consultative meeting where everyone expressed their views on current party issues. He said that he expressed the aspirations of the people in front of the party, which is committed to upholding and protecting Nawaz Sharif's narrative.
According to press released issued by the PML-N, the party criticized the government policies, saying that the alarming loss at the Pakistan Stock Exchange in one day was a first in history, and "sounded an alarm for economic disaster". The meeting criticized the PTI government on increasing inflation and economic catastrophe in the country, saying that the collapse of the stock market by 6.02 percent in a single day is the new history of economic disaster.
The party also condemned the attack on Dr Adnan Khan, Nawaz's personal physician, and hoped that London police will provide justice. The party agreed that Nawaz Sharif should stay in London until he gets better. The parliamentary party strongly condemned the attack in London on Nawaz Sharif's personal physician Dr Adnan, pointing out that Dr Adnan's head was struck with a steel rod, despite being injured, tortured. The party leaders hoped London police would provide justice to Dr Adnan.
The meeting condemned the situation in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and the serious human rights violations. They said that the resolutions of the UN Security Council are being openly violated on the issue of Kashmir and the international community is silent.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raja Zafarul Haq, Parliamentary Leader in the National Assembly Khwaja Muhammad Asif, former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanveer, Mushahidullah Khan, Ayaz Sadiq, Chaudhry Birgeez Tahir and others attended the meting.