Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said reconciliation between party supremo Nawaz Sharif and senior PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was necessary.
Nisar has reportedly had differences with his party’s leadership over the stance his party took following the July 28 Supreme Court verdict, which led to the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif.
“Chaudhry Nisar is still a friend and I will issue a party ticket to him as the president of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N),” Shehbaz said while speaking at an event in Jhelum.
The Punjab chief minister said he could not disclose at the time the differences between Nawaz and Nisar.
He further said that senior party leaders were making serious efforts to end the differences between the party supremo and Nisar.
Last month, Nisar announced to contest the upcoming elections from the NA-59 constituency. The veteran politician made the announcement to contest the elections from PP-10 and PP-14 constituencies.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Imran Khan had invited the PML-N stalwart to join his party. However, sources had said that following a meeting with Shehbaz, Nisar had given a conditional nod to put aside his reservations and differences with the ruling party. Nisar had publicly expressed reservations with senior PML-N leadership. He had also refused to be part of a new cabinet after Nawaz – the then PML-N president – was disqualified as prime minister.
The PML-N stalwart, at various occasions, had advised Nawaz not adopt a confrontational approach following his disqualification but the party supremo “ignored the advice”.
Published in Daily Times, May 11th 2018.
