PML-N to convey Nawaz's message to Fazl before finalising strategy for anti-govt march

Published October 12, 2019
PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal speaks to reporters in Lahore on Saturday. — DawnNewsTV
PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal speaks to reporters in Lahore on Saturday. — DawnNewsTV

The PML-N on Saturday announced that the party will share the message written in a letter by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman before finalising the programme for the latter's anti-government protest march.

The announcement was made by PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal, who was briefing reporters after a huddle of the party's senior leadership in Lahore, chaired by its president Shahbaz Sharif, regarding the PML-N's participation in the JUI-F's October 31 'Azaadi March'.

Iqbal revealed that Shahbaz had during the meeting read out contents of the letter written to him by party supremo Nawaz. He said in the letter, Nawaz had detailed a "complete roadmap" for the PML-N and expressed the desire that the party take the JUI-F chief into confidence in this regard.

Read: Nawaz lends unqualified support to Fazl’s anti-govt march

"For this purpose, a senior delegation of the party will immediately take Nawaz Sharif's letter to Maulana Fazlur Rehman so that we can give a final shape to the programme of this Azadi March," Iqbal said.

He said Nawaz had agreed with the objectives of the so-called Azadi March and stressed the "important" role to be played by the PML-N in the face of a "sinking economy" for which he held the government responsible.

"Our Kashmiri brothers are becoming the targets of bullets of the Indian army and our prime minister is heading to mediate between Iran and Saudi Arabia," the PML-N leader said, criticising the Imran Khan-led government's efforts to highlight the plight of the people of occupied Kashmir.

He said Nawaz had directed the party to "initiate a comprehensive movement so that we can get rid of this government".

The instructions given for that movement by the former premier were corroborated by the party leadership during today's meeting, Iqbal added.

He rejected the impression that there are any differences among the party leadership. "There is no division of any sort in the PML-N," he iterated, adding that the entire party had confidence in Nawaz Sharif's leadership.

Later in the day, Shahbaz formed a three-member delegation to hold the meeting with the JUI-F chief. It will be led by Ahsan Iqbal and include Ameer Muqam and Marriyum Aurangzeb.

The PML-N meeting came a day after its supreme leader Nawaz extended unqualified support to the JUI-F's anti-government march.

Responding to media queries outside an accountability court on Friday, the former premier had said: “We consider his (Maulana’s) point of view as ours.”

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