Sharif to meet Rawalpindi parliamentarians in Islamabad today

Sources dismiss speculation surrounding Nisar; say the meeting will just be an interaction between members and Nawaz

LAHORE ': With speculations surrounding former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar’s expected departure from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Rawalpindi division parliamentarian on Thursday (today).

According to PML-N MNA from Rawalpindi Muhammad Javeed Ikhlas, parliamentarians from Rawalpindi Division and Sargodha Division have been called for a meeting with former PM Sharif. He said the meeting would be held in Islamabad at a PML-N senator’s residence. He could not confirm whether or not Nisar has been invited or if he would attend, but he was confident that Nisar would not leave the party.

Multiple central leaders also expressed their ignorance of an invite being extended to Nisar. They have further informed that the meeting has nothing to do with speculation surrounding Nisar, rather, that it was just an interaction of party members with the party’s founder.

With reference to PTI chief Imran Khan’s ‘big wicket’ claim, they said it may be Qamar Zaman Qaira or Aitzaz Ahsan. They said that though Ahsan has denied the speculation, it still cannot be ruled out.

Meanwhile, Sharif will address at least seven public gatherings around the country before Ramazan. According to the schedule, he will address a gathering at Mansehra on April 29, then on May 1, he will address a gathering in Sahiwal, followed by Rahim Yar Khan the next day. He will then speak in Chitral on May 4, Chakwal on May 6, Khushab on May 8, and Multan on May 11. They said that this schedule has been designed to accommodate as many public gatherings as possible before Ramazan. They said that it would not be possible to hold public gatherings in Ramazan, especially in view of the weather. Party President Shehbaz Sharif would also address a gathering in Mardan on Saturday.

PML-N also lost three more parliamentarians to JPSM. They announced they were leaving the party during a press conference on Wednesday from Multan. Senator Pervaiz Rashid said that these defections won’t affect the party’s position in Punjab. He said the PML-N Punjab government has done a lot for southern Punjab and that the slogan of another province won’t gain traction this time.

He said the defectors would lose the elections to PML-N candidates. “People can gauge our performance and easily decide who to vote for and who to ignore.”

Federal Minister for Power Awais Leghari also called on PML-N President and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday.

Shehbaz Sharif said the pace of development and prosperity will be further accelerated in southern Punjab and added that southern districts have been given back their rights by allocating more resources per capita in these areas. In every development program, southern Punjab has been given 10 per cent additional quota, he added.

The girls’ stipend has been increased to Rs1,000 per month in public sector schools of southern Punjab. He lamented that past governments used the slogan of ‘southern Punjab province’ for political purposes. On the other contrary, PML-N got resolutions approved from the Punjab Assembly for the establishment of a southern Punjab province and restoration of the defunct province of Bahawalpur. No other political party could dare to get approved resolutions for the restoration of Bahawalpur as a province and establishment of southern Punjab province, he said.

Leghari said that resources to the tune of billions of rupees have been provided for the prosperity of people of southern Punjab districts and innumerable development work has been done for improving the quality of life of people living there. “Due to the tremendous development work carried out under the supervision of Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the PML-N’s vote bank has been increased in southern Punjab.”