PML-N leaders 'reluctant' to welcome Nawaz Sharif at airport

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders appeared to backtrack from staging a ‘historic welcome’ of party supremo Nawaz Sharif at Lahore International Airport as the former premier is scheduled to return on October 21, ARY News reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that PML-N leaders believe that Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan would get public acceptance. However, they appeared to backtrack from staging a ‘historic welcome’ of party supremo.

Sources claimed that PML-N leaders, including former MNAs and MPAs, have failed to assure the party leadership of gathering workers at Lahore airport.

The PML-N leadership is worried due to the major inflationary crisis, including rising petrol prices and exorbitant electricity bills. Gas crisis may also be intensified at the time of Nawaz Sharif’s return, sources added.

Sources quoting PML-N leadership said that it might be impossible to gather people at the airport to welcome former premier. Sources also claimed that the party leadership decided to bring former prime minister to Minar-e-Pakistan after sunset.

Meanwhile, PML-N leader Javed Latif has confirmed the development, saying that Nawaz Sharif will not get a ‘splendid welcome’ at the Lahore airport – as announced by party president Shehbaz Sharif.

Latif asked the party workers and supporters to come at Minar-e-Pakistan instead of welcoming the party supremo at the airport. “Nawaz Sharif will hold a public gathering after two hours of landing at Lahore airport,” he added.

“Nawaz Sharif wants the people not to suffer due to the rally”, he said, adding that his party does not want the whole city to be jammed and Nawaz Sharif reaches home after 20 hours.

Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier announced Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan on October 21. “The PML-N supremo will be given a splendid welcome on his arrival in Pakistan”, he added.

He said that his brother was removed from power through a conspiracy and the rigging in the 2018 general elections left Pakistan behind in the region.

“We held consultations with the senior leadership of the party and decided that the PML-N supremo will return to Pakistan in October and lead the election campaign,” Shehbaz Sharif said while talking to journalists in London.

The PML-N president also said that his brother would come to Pakistan and face the law and “there are no two opinions on it”.

Earlier, former finance minister Ishaq Dar said that there are no hurdles in PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s participation in elections.

Ishaq Dar said that article 62 (1) (f) which decreased the disqualification sentence to five years was passed by the parliament and also approved by the president.

He said that after the the approval of article 62 (1) (f) former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) head Jahangir Tareen are now eligible to participate in elections.