KARACHI/LAHORE: As the PML-N-led government gears up for another shot at securing the passage of a key constitutional amendment in the coming days, the party’s leader is reportedly gearing up for a trip abroad.

Sources told Dawn that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is set to embark on a private visit to the United States and UK in the first week of October, with speculation about a possible medical appointment during a stopover in London on his return.

However, this would seemingly put his brother’s government at a disadvantage in the National Assembly, where the ruling coalition is already short of votes to secure the two-thirds majority needed to pass an amendment to the Constitution.

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The elder Sharif, being an MNA, had camped out in Islamabad earlier this month when the government convened sessions of both houses of parliament over a weekend in a bid to push the ‘Constitutional Pack­age’ through the legislature.

However, that attempt could not materialise as the ruling party failed to secure the support of erstwhile ally, Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Although sources close to the PML-N leader did not confirm any medical engagements, multiple reports have been circulating about an impending trip to London. PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Auran­gzeb did not respond to requests for comment.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2024