Sharifs gear up to rescue Shehbaz

Ex-PM directs legal team to strongly oppose NAB’s attempt for third remand

LAHORE: The Sharif family, including Hamza and Salman Shehbaz, met Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif for the third time since his arrest by National Accountability Bureau in Ashiana housing scam, on Sunday.

Shehbaz is currently in NAB custody, on a second remand of fifteen days which was obtained on October 16. He was initially arrested on October 5 and was subsequently sent on a 10 day remand.

While PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was present during the first two meetings of the Sharifs with Shehbaz, the former prime minister decided to skip Sunday’s meeting however prior to visiting their father, Hamza and Salman are said to have met Sharif at Jati Umrah.

The former PM, who was recently released from jail after being imprisoned in a corruption scandal, spent a rather busy day at his Jati Umrah residence, meeting party members and his legal team. The meeting with his legal team was to discuss progress of NAB cases while Shehbaz’s case was also discussed at length.

This meeting was attended by Khawaja Haris, Advocate Nasir Bhutta and former prosecution secretary Rana Maqbool. After the meeting Bhutta, while talking to the media informed that progress of the NAB cases was indeed discussed in the meeting.

“We have been instructed to utilise all legal means to fight these cases and strongly oppose any attempt by NAB to obtain a third extension in physical remand of the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly,” said Bhutta.



It is pertinent to mention here that Sharif since suspension of his prison sentence on September 19 has not made any public appearance to respond to the country’s political situation or to the legal matters his family is embroiled in. Initially, the party maintained that Sharif given the death of his wife Begum Kalsum Nawaz, was observing a grieving period of 40 days. However, even after culmination of this period, neither the former PM has made any public appearance nor does he plan to do so, according to close aides.

It is also worth mentioning that suspension of his prison sentence was speculated to be a result of a deal which was strongly rejected by not only the PML-N but also by the concerned quarters.

According to the said deal’s speculations, it was agreed by the Sharif clan to not ‘bash’ state institutions, tone down their harsh narrative and keep away from mainstream politics. As mentioned, all rumors surrounding the deal were rejected by all quarters but a former provincial minister of Punjab Rana Mashood, during a media interview revealed Sharif had indeed struck an understanding with establishment and that PML-N was out of hot waters.



This interview was not only condemned by all political parties including PML-N but also by the ISPR which taking an exception strongly reacted to the claims of former provincial minister.

Despite the emergence of this controversy necessitating his public appearance even more, Sharif has chosen to stay away from public eye. He though, after the arrest of Shehbaz Sharif, has presided a CEC meeting of party.