ISLAMABAD: Under a new strategy, the president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif will attend the key public meeting of the opposition alliance of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on August 29 in Karachi.
Sharif would replace party’s vice president Maryam Nawaz who has been representing the party at such PDM sittings. Sources in the PML-N say that the decision had been taken by party’s top leader Nawaz Sharif to sideline Maryam Nawaz and give center stage to Shehbaz Sharif after Maryam’s failed strategy in the recent elections held in Azad Jammu and Kashmir as well as party’s stronghold of Sialkot.
According to the party sources, Shehbaz Sharif will also go to the public gathering leading a party rally in Karachi. To make the rally successful, the PML-N chief has directed the Sindh and Karachi organizations to make preparations.
However, the party has suffered a major blow as the party’s general secretary of Sindh chapter and former finance minister, Miftah Ismail has resigned from the party. According to the sources, the resignation of Miftah was a major blow to the party’s Sindh chapter who was not only a political heavyweight but also is a known business tycoon of Karachi.
According to the sources, Miftah has resigned in protest to inaction by the party’s top leadership against some party workers who had an argument with Miftah and also used abusive language against him.
“This looked like start of infighting between Maryam and Shehbaz groups. Miftah was loyal to Maryam Nawaz. His ouster would be a big blow to the party and especially Maryam’s group,” the sources said. Miftah Ismail had lost by-election held for NA-249 with a thin margin a few months back. He is considered the only PML-N leader capable of winning election from Sindh province.
According to PML-N sources, Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to arrive in Karachi on August 27 where PML-N leaders will receive him at Karachi airport. He will later leave for the venue in the form of a rally. During his visit, the PML-N president will also meet various political and business personalities in Karachi.
It may be recalled that the Pakistan Democratic Movement has once again rejected the electoral reforms and announced to issue a white paper on the performance of the government. Recommendations in this regard should be presented to the PDM summit on August 28 for final approval.
In this regard, a meeting of the Steering Committee of the PDM was held at the PML-N Secretariat under the chairmanship of PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal. The first meeting will be held in Karachi on August 29.
A committee has been set up to discuss in detail the future stages of the anti-government movement and nationwide meetings and to finalize the Charter of Pakistan agenda.
Talking to media after the meeting of PDM steering committee, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the reforms are against the constitution and law while electronic voting machine is a way to steal elections, meetings and rallies for anti-government movement. The schedule has been fixed, which will be formally announced after the August 28 summit. He said the recommendations would be presented to the PDM summit on August 28 for final approval, followed by a meeting under the PDM in Karachi on August 29, citing the government’s poor performance for three years.
The PDM will issue a white paper on the three-year performance of the government, which aims to expose the incompetence of the government.
