LAHORE - No activity, constructive or destructive, was seen in the city by PML-N workers and leaders after conviction of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia Steel Mills reference by an accountability court in Islamabad on Monday.

The latest conviction is the third to the former prime minister since July 20 last year.

It was a quite atmosphere outside and inside Model Town Secretariat of the PML-N which is considered to be hub of the party activity. Last year, the Supreme Court had disqualified the former premier in the Panama Papers case on July 20. Later, he was convicted in Avenfield reference by the trial court on July 6 last. A sizeable number of party workers had reached the Secretariat on these occasions to show their resentment. The city also witnessed sporadic demonstrations that however were lackluster. Unlike that time, hardly any public reaction or formal leadership activity to work out future line of action was seen in the city on Monday. However, it was learnt from the party sources that the party did not give call to workers for any protest and the workers and leaders will act as per decisions of the newly formed advisory committee, which is represented by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and six other senior leaders. The committee has already been tasked with launching a mass contact movement and mustering support from other political parties after conviction of Nawaz Sharif.

The police and the district administration were on the guard in the city to deal with any situation. Although no extraordinary measures were adopted yet necessary steps were taken to meet any eventuality. But hardly any organized protest activity or political one was seen in the city although the party workers were seen talking about the decision and commenting on the same mostly in streets and gatherings.

It may be mentioned that party workers make a visible show on the occasion of appearance of party President Shehbaz Sharif and Khawaja brothers in the accountability courts. And special security arrangements are made in and around the court on these occasions. And not even activity of that scale was witnessed on part of the PML-N yesterday. Nevertheless the quietness of the PML-N does not mean that workers and leaders have accepted the decision and are satisfied with their leader being in jail, but fact of the matter is, as learnt from sources, they were told to wait for the call from the committee.

Lahore is the political stronghold of the PML-N where the party did not lose the grip even during the days of military rule General Pervez Musharraf. The residence of the Sharifs is located at Jati Umra, only 30km off the city. Shehbaz Sharif, during his two stints as chief minister of Punjab, gave utmost priority to Lahore in development works, which brought a huge public support to his party.

The PML-N roots in Lahore are so deep that it earned victory to Begum Kalsum Nawaz on the seat vacated by her husband after disqualification verdict by the Supreme Court when she was abroad for treatment and the situation was hostile to the party. Even in the last general elections, the PML-N clinched the seats on which win of the PTI candidates was being predicted certain by the political analysts and the intellectuals.

Party sources say that Nawaz Sharif will be brought to the city from Islamabad in the morning today (Tuesday) and after that the PML-N political activity is likely to pick up in the city. It may be mentioned that the Accountability Court has allowed the plea of Nawaz Sharif for imprisoning him in Lahore instead of Adiala Jail, where he had served over two months in Avenfield conviction along with his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son in law Cap (retd) Safdar.