LAHORE, June 7: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Shahbaz Sharif has distanced himself and the provincial government from the lawyers’ long march.

“The PML-N has decided that the Punjab government should not have anything to do with the lawyers’ long march and that I should also not participate in it,” he told a hurriedly called press conference at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Saturday evening, hours after submitting his nomination for the office of chief minister.

But, he said, the PML-N would take active part in the long march beginning from Tuesday.

He said his party also had met earlier in the day to review arrangements for the reception of the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry in every town and city of the province.

“Reception camps will be set up in every town and district along the route of the lawyers march. All workers at gross-root level will actively participate in the lawyers’ movement for restoration of judiciary. The PML-N workers will also attend the Multan convention of the lawyers,” he said.

He said he would take oath from Governor Salmaan Taseer at the Governor’s House. “We had reservations on Mr Taseer’s appointment and we have openly conveyed the same to our coalition partner,” he said in reply to a question.