Deposed PM Nawaz Shairf in a conversation with his brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif. PHOTO: REUTERS / FILE
The party seems to be a house divided as glaring differences emerge, especially over the leadership vacuum created in the wake of the July 28 Supreme Court verdict that disqualified Sharif as prime minister.
The impression is strengthened by a sudden change in the plans of the deposed prime minister to postpone his arrival in the country, as well as reports of a rivalry between his daughter Maryam Nawaz and his nephew Hamza Shahbaz – the next generation of ‘political’ Sharifs. Though the cousins met recently, rumours of a rift refuse to die down.
Abbasi will be joined in London by Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif and other senior leaders of the party.
Sharif left for London from Jeddah, Shehbaz from Lahore, and Abbasi from Islamabad – all on Sunday. Asif is due to join them later. He is currently in Saudi Arabia.
Sharif returns today amid widening ‘rift’ in PML-N
Contrary to reports suggesting that the former premier summoned the top party leaders in London, credible sources in the PML-N shared with The Express Tribune that meetings would take place on Monday (today) as a result of efforts made by PM Abbasi and other senior party leaders who were trying to keep the ruling party intact.
Abbasi visited Lahore last week to hold an important, but low-key meeting with Shehbaz to convince him to fly to London and mend fences with his elder brother after it became clear that Sharif was not coming to Pakistan.
Also, last week, the deposed prime minister thrice delayed his scheduled arrival plan to Pakistan. He was first scheduled to land in Lahore on Sunday. He then rescheduled his return from Jeddah for Tuesday, after performing Umrah along with his mother.
On Wednesday, Sharif again postponed the plan and decided to stay in Saudi Arabia.
Sources in the PML-N said the decision not to fly back to Pakistan and miss the hearings of accountability court references against him in connection with the Panama Papers case had much to with Sharif’s reluctance to interact with his younger brother.
Reports suggesting the possible emergence of a ‘Shehbaz League’, coupled with Shehbaz’s marathon meetings with party office-bearers from across the country and his recent interactions with the Lahore corps commander and other senior military officials have annoyed the former prime minister and widened cracks between the ruling camp.
Sources said Sharif was also displeased with the fact that his daughter Maryam Nawaz attempted to bury the hatchet and reconcile with her uncle and cousin, and she even issued public statements praising her uncle, only to receive a cold shoulder from them.
No rift in family, Hamza is my younger brother: Maryam
In addition, the former premier is said to be unhappy after not receiving the welcomes he expected from party leaders and activists every time he flew back to Pakistan from Britain in recent weeks. Apart from a handful of party leaders, only a few activists would show up at the airport to welcome him.
Sharif had reportedly blamed the PML-N’s senior leadership for ‘negligence’ in this regard.
Moreover, before he decided to fly to London, Sharif wanted to spend a few more days in Jeddah amid reports that he has been holding secretive meetings with the Saudi royals to seek their support in dealing with the challenges at home.
Apart from internal party differences, other issues likely to be discussed during the parlays in London include legal options for the deposed prime minister to avoid conviction in the references pending in the accountability court, his upcoming travel plan for Pakistan, and reviewing the report on changes in the Khatam-e-Nabuwwat clause in the previous draft of the Election Bill 2017.
Sharif is reaching London to be with his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz, who is due to undergo her second round of chemotherapy. After her surgeries, according to a senior party leader, she was due to undergo six rounds chemotherapies in total. He said the side effects of the bi-weekly chemotherapy can require immediate hospitalisation.
The party official said this was the reason she was taken to hospital earlier this week after her first round of chemo. He said Kulsoom was expected to undergo her second round in another two or three days, He said Sharif is in London solely to be with his ailing wife.
Nawaz and Shehbaz are off to London
The official said Sharif has not called any meeting with his younger brother Shehbaz or the prime minister, adding that the deposed prime minister is expected to arrive in Pakistan on November 2 to appear before an accountability court in Islamabad on the next day.
“Had Sharif been interested in a meeting, he would have called one after his return to Pakistan.”
He added that the prime minister and the Punjab chief minister decided on their own to go to London to meet with Nawaz.
According to a provincial minister, the Punjab chief minister will be back in the country after two days.
He said the party leaders will discuss the prevailing political situation in the country and challenges faced by the PML-N due to the Panama Papers verdict. The official said the party leaders will also discuss the details regarding Sharif’s return to Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Sunday said there was no rift among national institutions and he does not want people to be duped by conspiracy theories.
Talking to newsmen after his arrival at Heathrow, the prime minister said such notions of a rift among national institutions were only seen in the media.
He said both the political and military leadership was sitting together during the recent meeting with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and all of the country’s institutions were collectively playing their role for national development.
He told the media that he was on a private trip to London and his visit would not cost the national exchequer anything. He would be back to Pakistan by Monday night, he added.
Abbasi reiterated that there was no provision for a technocrat government in the country’s constitution.
Responding to a question, he said he had not proposal holding general elections before the completion of the current tenure.
He said there was no difference within the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the party had delivered well for the country’s development and would keep up the spirit.
(With additional input from APP)
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