Shehbaz likely to miss upcoming APC

PML-N’s Tarar says president suffering from pain in his back and legs

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif is likely to miss another anti-government alliance huddle scheduled for August 29 reportedly to decide Islamabad lockdown plan due to health problems.

According to PML-N Deputy Secretary-General Attaullah Tarar, PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif underwent medical checkup on Tuesday, where he was advised to take bed rest for another 10 days.

Tarar said, “Shehbaz has continuous pain in his back and legs. He has been advised to undergo another checkup after two weeks.”

According to the PML-N media office, Shehbaz, during his departure from the August 14 ceremony held at the central party secretariat, was accidentally pushed by one of the party workers, which resulted in his back injury.

Then, Shehbaz suspended all of his political engagements after doctors advised him complete bed rest for a week.
Given the prescribed bed rest, Shehbaz was likely to miss the second huddle of the anti-government alliance of opposition parties.

The anti-government alliance would also review the charter of demands that by August 29 would be drafted by the Rahbar Committee. The task had been assigned during the all-party conference (APC) held on Monday.

Shehbaz already missed the August 19 APC due to his back problem.

It is pertinent to mention here that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan already accused both the PML-N president and Pakistan Peoples Party chairman of ditching JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman as both did not attend the Monday huddle.

It is also pertinent to mention here that the two main parties - PPP and PML-N - in the alliance had recently development differences over the Senate no-trust motion debacle, as the latter accused the PPP senators of backstabbing the anti-government alliance by voting in favour of Sanjrani.

The matter was quickly hushed up by the president and chairman of both the parties but the damage by then had been done.

Further, reportedly JUI-F chief Fazl had also sought guarantees from both the PPP and PML-N to ensure their attendance in the lockdown protest, asking both to inform well in advance if for any reason they decide to back out from the plan.

Other than Monday’s APC, Shehbaz also skipped the August 15 Muzaffarabad rally which was held to show solidarity with the people of Indian Occupied Kashmir and to mark the Independence Day of India as a black day.

PML-N General Secretary Ahsan Iqbal and other senior party leaders addressed the Muzaffarabad’s black day rally.