LAHORE: Despite earlier distancing itself from the demand for holding those accountable who were involved in ouster of the party supremo Nawaz Sharif from power, the PML-N appears to be again pushing for it, though indirectly.

At the same time, the PML-N is also seeking justice for the elder Sharif ahead of the Feb 8 polls so that a ‘level playing field is ensured to it’

On Friday, PML-N’s outspoken leader Mian Javed Latif, who is considered close to Maryam Nawaz, took on former ISI chief Gen Faiz Hamid and declared him the ‘mastermind’ of 2017 Faizabad sit-in, that was staged against the party’s then government.

“The mastermind of Faizabad sit-in was Gen Faiz Hamid. Absar Alam [former Pemra head] has agreed to give testimony [in the court] in this regard,” Latif told a presser here. He also alleged that on the order of the “mastermind” the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project was rolled back.

Latif also demanded that all those who “ruined the country” should be exposed before Feb 8 elections.

Ironically, Latif was among many other PML-N leaders who, ahead of Nawaz Sharif’s return to the country on Oct 21, had claimed that the party had quit the demand for accountability of former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Gen Hamid.

“Although 90 per cent [of the leaders] in the PML-N think that Gen Bajwa and Faiz Hamid were responsible for Nawaz’s disqualification, we are not demanding any action whatsoever against them,” Latif had said.

Returning to the country after his four-year self-imposed exile, Nawaz Sharif in his speech at Minar-i-Pakistan had also declared that he “agreed to forgive all those who had slighted me”.

Another senior PML-N leader, Khawaja Asif also upped the ante against Gen Hamid, terming him the mastermind of Faizabad sit-in in a TV show recently.

As the Supreme Court this week had rejected the government-appointed three-man special fact-finding committee on Faizabad sit-in, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan said he would ask the federal government to set up a commission under the Pakistan Commission of Inquiry Act 2017 on the issue.

The commission will ensure compliance with the Feb 6, 2019, judgement against the 20-day Faizabad sit-in by the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in 2017.

Journalist Absar Alam had told the SC that “certain personnel of the armed forces were trying to incite violence at the time of the TLP sit-in”. He also alleged that when he ordered to shut down Channel 92 for allegedly inciting violence through their live coverage of the Faizabad sit-in, Gen Faiz Hamid called him to back the media outlet.

‘Justice to Nawaz ahead of polls’

Javed Latif also sought early disposal of Nawaz’s cases to ensure that his party got a ‘level playing field’ in the elections.

“If the elections are indispensable then appeals of Nawaz (in Al-Azizia and Evenfield cases) should be fixed for hearing. A time-frame should be given in this regard. Similarly, the commission (probing Faizabad sit-in) should be given time to name of the mastermind so that the people could know who was responsible for their miseries,” he said and added that all such people should be exposed before polls.

After his arrival here late last month, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) restored Nawaz’s appeals against his conviction in the Avenfield Apartments and Al-Azizia corruption references. Nawaz has been on protective bail.

Latif alleged that “five-star hotel like facilities” were being given to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman, Imran Khan, in jail. He also demanded that the cases Mr Khan was facing should be decided before polls.

Meanwhile, PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif has welcomed the Feb 8 polls date .

“The consensus between the president and chief election commissioner on election date of Feb 8 is welcoming. The government formed in the wake of free and fair polls will take the country in the right direction. If the people elect the PMLN, then Nawaz Sharif will [again] start the progress of the country where it left off because of a conspiracy,” Shehbaz said.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2023