Shehbaz Sharif urges unity among senior party leadership

Avoids questions on Sharif’s ‘alien’ remarks, Nisar’s rebellion

LAHORE: President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Shehbaz Sharif has urged former interior minister Chaudhary Nisar to keep his emotions in check and requested the party leadership to sit together and address the existing internal rift.

While at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Science Enclave, to a question on Nisar, the Punjab chief minister said that Nisar is among the senior-most leaders of the party, who enjoys a particular position and is a personal his friend.

“I have asked Sharif, Nisar and other senior leaders to sit together to address the gulf in the party”, said Shehbaz.

A month ago, the Punjab CM had urged party leadership including Nisar to not to violate discipline by engaging in blame game. However, despite those instructions, Nisar held another press conference earlier this month, to voice his concerns regarding party affairs.



Moreover, the PML-N president also refused to answer questions regarding Sharif’s recent reference to 'aliens' in the political system by saying that his brother is the right person for this question.

Replying to a query about a NAB’s notice to the former premier on alleged money laundering, Shehbaz said that notice was taken over a false claim that Sharif has laundered $4.9 billion.

“The entire country is in shock over it since the report has already been contradicted by the State Bank of Pakistan and more recently by the World Bank,” Shehbaz added while saying that this notification has actually weakened NAB’s credibility as an institution.

Likewise, he urged NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal to investigate the misguided notice and determine the person responsible for this wrong step which has harmed the corruption watchdog’s reputation.

“NAB has been fully active in Punjab but that’s not the case in other provinces”, said the Punjab CM.

When questioned on party members leaving PML-N in favour of other groups, Shehbaz said that the upcoming elections will prove who flies higher. Furthermore, he stated that attack on interior minister Ahsan Iqbal is a tragic incident which has made Pakistan look bad in the eyes of the world.

“If the issue of fanaticism and intolerance is not addressed, more of such incidents would continue in future,” said Shehbaz while calling for an in-depth probe into the incident.

Earlier, he laid the foundation stone of Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority Science Enclave, adjacent to Punjab Forensic Science Agency at Thokar Niaz Beg, along with several other development projects including a Rs1 billion training lab for the Punjab Forensic Science Agency, which will be completed in November.



Shehbaz said that the forensic agency project will play an important role in maintaining the standard of food, medicines and pesticides and will operate as an independent institution where experts will perform their duties keeping in view the national and international needs.

He also added that establishment of a training laboratory is a pioneering initiative where doctors, scientists and experts will be trained along modern lines and it would emerge as a glowing example of innovation and institutional expertise.

Subsequently, a high-level meeting was also held chaired by the chief minister.  Addressing the meeting, Shehbaz appreciated that an important step has been taken with regard to criminal investigations and scientific research through these projects.

“Punjab government has provided resources on a priority basis and we have also given support to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh in this regard,” he added.