Abbasi asks PML-N to explain shifting goalposts

Ex-PM refuses to defend party’s position

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that he could not defend his party's position and that only the party president could do so.

When asked during an interview with a private television on Saturday, about the PML-N’s future strategy, Abbasi said the party president should answer that. He stressed the importance of explaining why the party had changed its narrative and why it had drifted away from its previous stance.

Abbasi also claimed that the alleged “theft of the 2018 elections” was the reason for the current state of the country and claimed that his party's performance over the past 16 months would impact its vote.

“The voter asks us questions that we don’t have answers to and definitely this will affect the elections.”

The former premier touched on the tenure of former army chief General Javed Qamar Bajwa and acknowledged that the latter himself had created a hybrid system.

“He even said he got Imran Khan’s government the required numbers for the confidence motion and all these things are on record.”Protective bailIn order to ensure Nawaz's smooth transition back to the country's political landscape, the party's legal team has decided to file an application for protective bail for the prime minister in the Lahore High Court (LHC), just two days before his return to pre-empt his arrest.

Sources close to the matter revealed that the legal team has conducted detailed consultations with Nawaz himself, as well as with Shehbaz and Maryam.

An agreeable strategy has been finalised with the consent of the party's leadership.

The legal team is optimistic about obtaining a security period of three to seven days from the high court. This would prevent law enforcement agencies from arresting Nawaz at the airport, thanks to the security bond that will be in place.

Furthermore, the legal team argues that since Maryam has been acquitted in the case for which Nawaz was convicted, he is likely to benefit from the court's decision.

Therefore, it is hoped that the former premier will be entitled to full legal protection.

Moreover, Nawaz will surrender before the Islamabad court, following a rally upon his return to the country. It is anticipated that upon surrendering, the trial court will suspend the decision to declare him an absconder.

With the security bond in place, Nawaz will not be required to go to jail immediately upon his return. This will give him some respite as he navigates the legal proceedings awaiting him.