PML-N leadership 'betrayed' Nawaz in his time of need, says Aitzaz

PPP stalwart questions party leaders’ failure to reach Lahore airport to receive Sharif and Maryam

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan said on Saturday that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership has betrayed their supremo Nawaz Sharif by depriving him of hero’s welcome he deserved upon his arrival in the country to face imprisonment last night.

Terming the party’s bid to gather a huge crowd yesterday a ‘flop show’, Aitzaz, while speaking to reporters in Islamabad, said the deposed prime minister and his daughter Mayram were 'stabbed in the back' by their own people as they failed to reach the Lahore airport.

“Yesterday’s events were astonishing and least expected … how come Shehbaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Khawaja Asif, Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Sanullah and Khurram Dastagir among other prominent PML-N leaders all failed to reach the airport?” he remarked.



All these leaders could not reach the airport due to scant obstacles erected by the Punjab police, said the PPP leader, adding that they were hardly five miles away from the airport when Sharif and his daughter were flown to Islamabad.

“They couldn’t even take advantage of delays in flight carrying the father-daughter duo from Abu Dhabi … at least Shehbaz Sharif should’ve reached the airport barricades to shake hands with his brother. This seems planned conspiracy against Nawaz Sharif and Maryam,” Aitzaz was quoted by Express News as saying.

“I have never in my long political career seen such betrayal.”

He said the imprisonment will adversely affect Sharif’s political career, adding that Maryam will not able to repair the dent even if granted bail in coming days.