Lahore - PML-N has decided to restart its mass-contact campaign from today and party’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif will attend iftar dinners in different cities during the holy month of Ramadan as part of it.

This was decided in a party meeting at Raiwind on Sunday which was chaired by the former prime minister and attended by senior party leaders including Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

According to sources, the ruling party will kick start its mass-contact drive from Chishtian by holding today an iftar party, to be addressed by Nawaz. It will be followed by similar events at Attock (on May 23), Bheera (May 25), Nawab Shah (May 28), Faisalabad (June 1) and Mandi Bahauddin (June 5). Schedule of the public iftar meetings in other cities will be issued later.

Addressing Sunday’s party meeting at Riawind, the ousted PM reiterated his stance that the PML-N would carry forward its narrative of ‘respect the vote’ in the general elections. Talking about those party leaders who have changed their loyalties, Sharif said that turncoats were never truly sincere with the party.

Sources said that PM Abbasi also had consultation with the party supremo over the names of caretaker prime minister.

On the other hand, Nawaz Sharif skipped a Sunday appearance before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a case regarding alleged misuse of official powers in construction of a road leading to Jati Umra, Raiwind.

NAB spokesman denied a TV channel report that the anti-corruption watchdog was going to file another reference against the former prime minister. He said that decision about it would be taken after consultation with the NAB Headquarters in Islamabad.

As for the Jati Umra road case is concerned, NAB’s combined investigation team had summoned Nawaz over allegations that the Sharif brothers misused their authority to increase the cover area of the road between Raiwind and their family residence.

According to sources, the anti-graft body claimed the road was widened from 20 to 24 feet, and that the case involves alleged misappropriation of Rs125 million. It is alleged that the funds allocated for development projects by Lahore District Council were used for construction of the road.

Investigation in this case was originally started by NAB on April 17, 2000. NAB Chairman Justice (r) Javed Iqbal recently ordered a reinvestigation and now the bureau is likely to submit a reference in the accountability court.

Earlier, Nawaz had not appeared before the bureau despite a summons as he was in London at the time. He was, therefore, summoned once again by the NAB and was expected to appear before the bureau on Sunday.