LAHORE - Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) took some important decisions regarding the next general elections at a meeting held at Jati Umra residence of the Sharifs yesterday.
Chaired by party Quaid Nawaz Sharif and especially attended by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the meeting pondered on ways to lead the party to the election in a manner that it emerges victorious again.
Media was not invited to cover the meeting yet the party sources shared that caretaker set-up, party preparedness for the elections, NAB cases against Sharifs and the ongoing NAB actions in Punjab as well as the amnesty scheme came under discussion.
The government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is at the close of its tenure and appears to be mired into an economic swamp while the NAB cases against the Sharifs are expected to be decided this month.
The experts believe that the outcome on both these fronts will cast a deep impact on the party position in the elections; therefore, the PML-N intends to enter the elections by leaving the rule on a positive economic note at the least.
Another key issue is desertion, as five party lawmakers left PML-N recently in quick succession. Three MNAs from Balochistan walked away from the PML-N on Thursday. Bilal Virk, an MNA from Nankana Sahib, defected to the rival PTI on Friday.
An even bigger blow to PML-N came on Saturday when MNA Ramesh Kumar Vankwani from Sindh’s Tharparkar formally announced his joining the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
The Jattimura meeting therefore decided to consolidate the party internally by addressing reservations of the estranged and disgruntled leaders, and also persuade the defectors back to the PML-N folds - for which tasks were assigned to different persons.
Among others, the meeting was participated by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shehbaz, Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq, former Law Minister Zahid Hamid, PM advisor on Economic Affairs Miftah Ismail, Senator Asif Ali Kirmani, Senator Pervez Rashid, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan and Punjab chief secretary.
The prime minister gave briefing to the meeting on his weeklong private visit to America during which he also had a meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence; his recent visit to Afghanistan, during which he met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in the background desire of both countries for peace in the region.
Abbasi also took the leadership into confidence on his meeting with the Chief Justice of Pakistan in the context of its purpose and the outcome.
Sources say that the prime minister also briefed the party Quaid and the participants about his interaction with the allied parties and Leader of the Opposition in NA Syed Khursheed Shah on the name for caretaker prime minister.
They said at the party level some names including that of former State Bank Governor Dr Ishrat Hussain and former Chief Justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jilani were being tipped for the caretaker prime minister. The meeting also considered these names yet it took no final decision.
Given the party leadership’s affairs with current judiciary and depleted economic condition, the sources say, the party was inclined to pick up the caretaker PM having experience in either of the said two areas.
The meeting took into the account the disputes about fresh delimitation of constituencies and decided to adopt the steps that would prevent delay in the election due to this controversy. The meeting decided to reach out to the allied parties to take them on board for a common line of action on this issue.
Sources say Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the attendants about his meeting with Ch Nisar Ali Khan and presented his reservations.
The sources further said that the amnesty scheme also came under discussion with particular focus on the question as to how much money it could fetch to the national economy and how far it could benefit the financial health of the country.
The participants wished early recovery to Begum Kalsoom Nawaz, who is in London for cancer treatment.
The meeting also discussed the NAB references against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his children and tried to have a fair guess about the court decision.
Sources confided to The Nation that the participants also touched the option of terminating the party government immediately in case of unfavourable court decision. The meeting however did not dwell much on this issue.
PML-N wakes up to defections issue