Senior leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are accusing the party’s incumbent president, Shehbaz Sharif of ‘ditching’ his elder brother Nawaz Sharif upon his arrival at the Lahore airport.
It was reported that Shehbaz failed to mobilise the maximum number of people when Nawaz landed at the airport to court arrest. Shehbaz was supposed to lead a ‘gigantic’ rally to the airport but remained ‘stuck’ at Charing Cross Chowk on the Mall Road.
His absence at the airport, despite the three-hour delay, raised many eyebrows. Shehbaz also called off the rally without reaching the airport after the Sharifs were arrested and airlifted to Islamabad.
PML-N leaders, who were accompanying Shehbaz included former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Pervaiz Rashid, Khawaja Asif, Ameer Muqam, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and others were informed by Hamza Shehbaz that the rally would reach the Lahore airport well before the Sharifs arrival to accord them a warm welcome.
It was further reported that the absence of Shehbaz, Hamza and his aides left an impression that they had deliberately ditched Nawaz to consolidate their control over the party ahead of the polls.
PML-N workers and supporters were further chagrined when those who reached the airport included just Mushahidullah Khan and a handful of PML-N figures.
This is the second time in recent days that Shehbaz has become embroiled in fierce controversy.
A few days ago, his statement favouring the formation of a ‘national government’ had sparked an outrage within the PML-N ranks.
On Saturday, before Shehbaz left for Islamabad to meet his elder brother at the Adiala Jail, he conferred with senior party leaders in Lahore where some senior party leaders reportedly ‘lashed out’ at him for allegedly keeping them in the dark regarding the rally plan for Friday.
Furthermore, PML-N Punjab leader Rana Sanaullah was reported as saying that Shehbaz could not reach airport because “the rally attendance was unprecedented … Because of such a huge crowd, the rally was moving at a snail’s pace.”
[…] Source: Pakistan Today […]
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