Shehbaz has taken notice of Mashhood's 'deal' claim: Nawaz

Former premier reluctant to engage in political talk

ISLAMABAD: Deposed premier Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of Rana Mashhood’s claim of a 'deal' between the party and the establishment, Express News reported.

Addressing the media informally outside the accountability court, Nawaz refused to comment further on the issue and when asked whether it was party policy or Mashhood's personal statement, the former prime minister said, "You would know better". When probed further, the PML-N supremo said he was preoccupied.



Mashood stirred controversy by claiming that Shehbaz struck an ‘understanding’ with the establishment to ameliorate the situation for the party.

“The party that won the election was being considered as a horse turned out to be a mule,” he said while giving an interview to a private TV channel.

“It is now strongly felt that Shehbaz Sharif would have been a better choice. If he had been prime minister, he would have handled things much better,” he said.



Mashhood said that Shehbaz had always been acceptable to the establishment because he talked about harmony between state institutions.

When asked about Nawaz and former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s statements pertaining to tensions between the civilian government and the military, Mashood said: “Things have greatly improved as they [the establishment] have realised that they are banking on wrong people.”

The PML-N not only distanced itself from the contents of the interview but also strongly rejected any talk of a deal.

Accountability court proceedings

Meanwhile, the accountability court continued to hear Al Azizia references. After two days of absence, defence counsel Khawaja Haris attended the hearing.