Muhammad Zubair, a senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has dismissed speculations about the cancellation of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s address to the opposition’s rally in Karachi. “Nawaz Sharif was not stopped by anybody,” he clarified.
Zubair was speaking with Arshad Sharif, a prominent Pakistani journalist, in his show ‘Power Play’ on ARY News. He also said that “I fully endorse the narrative of Nawaz Sharif”. “I can bear 100 percent burden of Nawaz Sharif’s narrative,” he added.
He maintained that those who could not bear the burden of his narrative should part their ways with the party. Muhammad Zubair said that Nawaz Sharif will address to the next public gathering of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
It is important to mention here that the former prime minister had suddenly canceled his scheduled address to the PDM’s rally in Karachi on Sunday via video link from London.
Earlier on October 18, no one from the PML-N including its Vice President Maryam Nawaz had attended a meeting of the PDM at Bilawal House in Karachi to discuss the agenda of the Karachi rally.
Read more: PM Imran calls for speedy repatriation of Nawaz from the UK
According to details, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had held a consultation over the agenda and message to be propagated during the public gathering of the multi-party alliance of opposition parties in Karachi.
Junior officer from GHQ snubbed Nawaz?
Notably, a day ago, Aitzaz Ahsan, a senior leader of PPP, told a private TV channel that Nawaz’s silence is the result of a phone call. “A junior army officer spoke with Nawaz and asked him not to address the rally,” he said.
“Nawaz Sharif has a tainted political past, and he tried to become the prime minister in 1988 through treachery despite being the head of a minority party. He maneuvered a no-confidence move against the PPP government and abducted our MNAs like Rasheed Bhatti and Father Jacob as the chief minister Punjab,” Aitzaz Ahsan added.
The PPP leader also said that Nawaz won the elections in the 1990s with the help of the spy agency. “Nawaz Sharif, with the help of the then DG ISI General Hameed Gull, formed the IJI against the PPP in the 1990 elections,” he said.
Forward bloc in PML-N?
After Nawaz’s controversial speech in Gujranwala, there are some unconfirmed news about the making of a forward bloc in the party. Prominent anchorperson Rauf Klasra revealed that “I spoke with some senior PML-N leaders and they are shocked to watch Nawaz vilifying the army”.
Last week, Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has assigned him the task to contact the disgruntled lawmakers of the PML-N, who are fed up with the negative narrative of the party leadership, The News reported.
While speaking at a gathering in Nowshera, Khattak said: “Over 15 members of the National Assembly have now approached me while others are also flexing their muscles to part ways with the PML-N and join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in near future.”
Notably, four members of Punjab Assembly belonging to the PML-N called on Punjab Chief Minister, Sardar Usman Buzdar on the last Tuesday and apprised him of the problems in their constituencies. This meeting was in continuation of their previous meetings with Buzdar who had been consistently claiming that any member of the Punjab Assembly could meet him irrespective of his/her party affiliation.
Read more: Nawaz Sharif deceived the nation and government, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani
Those who called on the Chief Minister included Chaudhary Ashraf Ali Ansari, Muhammad Ghiasuddin, Muhammad Faisal Khan Niazi, and Mian Jalil Ahmed Sharaqpuri. A local PML-N leader from Gujranwala Ch Muhammad Yunis Ansari was also present in the meeting.