By-poll victory vindicates our stance, says Sharif

Deposed PM confers with party leaders about the party’s future strategy

ISLAMABAD: In an implied defence of his criticism of the country’s security establishment and judiciary, deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif has claimed that the PML-N’s recent victory in a Lahore by-election has proven that people support his party’s ‘GT Road stance’.

Sharif, who was ousted from power by the apex court for hiding assets, had strongly criticised the judiciary and the military establishment in what was called his ‘homecoming rally’ that started from Islamabad on August 9 and reached his hometown of Lahore in three days.

“People of Pakistan have supported the PML-N’s ‘GT Road stance’ and the party’s victory in NA-120 by-polls has validated this,” Sharif said on Saturday after chairing a meeting of the PML-N’s top leaders in London.



Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif were among those who attended the huddle, which was the second such meet-up to take place in the British capital in one week.

Abbasi had met Sharif on his way to New York where he attended the UN General Assembly session, and London was his stopover again on his return to Pakistan.

Talking with reference to his meeting with the PML-N leaders, Sharif said it was a consultative meeting and such sessions would continue in future. He said he had asked Abbasi to ‘personally’ investigate into ‘disappearance’ of PML-N workers on the eve of the Lahore bye-election.

“Things are taking strange turns,” he said in a reference to developments taking place in Pakistan.

Sharif also spoke on participation of candidates of ultra-right parties in the Lahore by-polls and said such practice was ‘detrimental’ to the democratic process.



According to party sources, Saturday’s meeting was held to discuss the ruling party’s strategy amidst ousted premier’s expected return as the party’s president and his arrival in Pakistan sometime in the near future.

The meeting was held a day after the PML-N managed in the Senate to amend the Political Parties Order (PPO), paving a way for Sharif to once again take the ruling party’s helms.

Due to the previous language of the PPO, Sharif had to step down as party chief after his disqualification from holding public office under the Supreme Court’s Panama Papers case verdict.

The related draft, which has been opposed by the opposition parties, is yet to be passed by the National Assembly where the PML-N is in majority.

The ruling camp is concerned that the Supreme Court may shoot down the proposed amendment in the electoral laws as the PTI has indicated its plans to challenge the same in the top court.



In this context, the ruling side is formulating a methodology for its legal defence. According to a PML-N leader, Sharif is in ‘no hurry’ to take control of the PML-N and the party will complete its homework before having Sharif elevated again.

“It may be an easy stride to seek the National Assembly’s nod but the issue can get complicated if it lands in the Supreme Court. We have to be prepared,” he said.

Sharif has not yet shared his plans about returning to Pakistan to face the references that have been filed against him, his family members and Ishaq Dar by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in line with the Panamagate case verdict.

A source said Sharif may return to Pakistan after officially becoming the PML-N’s president again.

He said the deposed PM during the Saturday meeting expressed concern that the Supreme Court did not seem in a mood to give any kind of leverage to the ruling party as it had also rejected the Sharif family’s review petitions against its July 28 ruling.

The PML-N sources said Sharif directed PM Abbasi to ensure – in his capacity as Leader of the House in the National Assembly – maximum presence of PML-N lawmakers once the related bill to amend electoral laws lands in the lower house.

The meeting also reportedly discussed the federal government’s relations with the security establishment and judiciary. During a previous meeting in London, PM Abbasi had reportedly advised Sharif to show ‘restraint’ and not to develop hostility with the state institutions.

It now appears that Sharif did not pay heed to this advice. Party sources said Sharif was urged again in Saturday’s meeting by Abbasi, Shehbaz and Dar to review his critical stance on state institutions as such behaviour was creating problems for the party and its governments in Punjab and at the Centre.

Requesting anonymity, one of the PM’s trusted aides told The Express Tribune that Abbasi is concerned that the PML-N leaders enjoying the reputation of being on cordial terms with security establishment are being pushed by the hardliners in the party to adopt a tough stance.

Resultantly, those senior leaders of Punjab chapter and those at the centre, who usually avoid getting into critical debate concerning security brass, have been compelled recently to make strong statements against the establishment, he added.