LONDON/ISLAMABAD: Following a flurry of family meetings with disgraced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his children in London to discuss the appointment of the new army chief, among other political matters, Shehbaz Sharif, who was scheduled to land in Islamabad on Friday night, changed his plans and decided to stay on in the British capital.
The development was also confirmed by Marriyum Aurangzeb, Sharif’s minister for information, who said the prime minister had extended his stay in the European country for a day.
Khawaja Asif, minister for defence, who is travelling with the prime minister but reportedly was not present during the meeting, confirmed the development on Geo News on Thursday. “Everything will become clear in the coming few days,” he told the station.
Aurangzeb had previously shared a video showing the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader seeing off the prime minister from what appeared to be the Stanhope House offices of the Sharif family in London after a marathon meeting that, according to some press reports, lasted over two hours.
Sharif “is not just my leader and my elder brother but also someone who has been a pillar of strength for me throughout my life. His affection [and] love is a source of confidence and inspiration for me,” he tweeted, responding to the video of him touching the feet of his elder brother.
Mian Nawaz Sharif is not just my leader and my elder brother but also someone who has been a pillar of strength for me throughout my life. His affection & love is a source of confidence and inspiration for me. https://t.co/azaHU4Nl0p
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) November 11, 2022
Sharif is now expected to return early on Monday. He had reached London on Wednesday on what his party declared was a “private visit” after attending COP 27 climate change conference in Egypt.
This is Sharif’s third trip to London after assuming the nation’s top office in April and comes ahead of the all-important appointment of the successor to Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa who is due to retire on November 29.
Asif has also accused Imran Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, of trying to influence the appointment and making it controversial.
Over the last few months, Khan has repeatedly questioned how the “corrupt” ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance could pick the next army chief.
He has alleged that Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairperson of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Nawaz want to name a chief of their choice in order to evade accountability for corruption charges against them.
Meanwhile, the PTI resumed its protest march to Islamabad on Thursday to demand early elections.
