LAHORE: PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif on Friday reached Sheikhupura to mobilise workers ahead of the homecoming of party supremo Nawaz Sharif on Oct 21, but failed to unite two party groups — one led by Chaudhry Tanvir Hussain and the other by Javed Latif.  

The outspoken Javed Latif did not turn up in the workers’ convention since it was hosted by

Mr Hussain and the former had serious differences with the latter. In the party ranks, Javed Latif is considered to be from the Maryam group and Tanvir Hussain from the Shehbaz camp. 

Early this week, Nawaz Sharif had asked his younger brother to immediately resolve differences among some party leaders of Punjab, particularly the Lahore chapter, to make the Oct 21 show successful. 

Outspoken’ Javed Latif skips Sheikhupura power show

The PML-N had already cancelled at least three rallies in Lahore, planned to build momentum ahead of Nawaz Sharif’s homecoming, in an apparent bid to prevent its workers from getting burnt out and differences ahead of the big event. 

“Had Mr Latif attended the party’s Sheikhupura power show organised by Mr Hussain, it would have given a good message to the workers there.

“It appears no serious effort has been made to address the split in Punjab,” a party insider told Dawn. 

He said every main leader of the party wanted to demonstra-te his capability to gather workers of his constituency at indivi-dual level as there was a complete lack of coordination among the leaders. 

Shehbaz has no regrets

Addressing the party workers in Sheikhupura, Shehbaz Sharif urged them to make sure that they reach Minar-i-Pakistan on Oct 21 to greet their leader — who has been in self-imposed exile for the past four years in the United Kingdom.

“If you want to see Pakistan progress, compete with India and resolve your problems, then you will have to bring Nawaz Sharif back to power. You will have to come to Minar-i-Pakistan on the day Nawaz Sharif returns to the country,” he said.  

Recalling Nawaz Sharif’s past achievements, he told the workers that the former PM could steer the country out of crises and bring prosperity.

Shehbaz Sharif again talked about putting his party’s political capital at stake for toppling Imran Khan’s government in April 2022 and saving the state during the 16-month PDM rule in which he was the premier.

“We had to save the state at the cost of our politics for which I have no regrets. But as the state is safe now, our politics will be safe too,” he sounded optimistic.

The PML-N president condemned hostilities in Palestine and said “no one is safe until our Palestinian brethren are safe”. 

Maryam’s address

Addressing the party’s former local government representatives in Model Town on Friday, PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz said people’s problems would be solved only if her father Nawaz Sharif became prime minister again. 

“Except Nawaz Sharif, all others (premiers) failed to control inflation,” she claimed, adding that only the ex-premier could unite the nation and deliver.

She said people should support her father for political stability as it was essential for economic stability. 

She urged the former chairmen and councilors to make sure that they bring as many people with them to make Nawaz Sharif’s homecoming historic. 

Nawaz Sharif is currently in Saudi Arabia and he will leave for Pakistan via Dubai on Oct 21. His legal team is likely to apply for his protective bail next week. 

The former prime minister had left for London in the middle of his seven-year jail term on medical grounds in 2019.

During these four years, he was declared a proclaimed offender in Al Azizia and Avenfield graft cases for his continuous absence from proceedings.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2023