ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Tuesday confirmed that a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be travelling to London to meet party’s supremo Nawaz Sharif.
“PML-N members are going on a private visit to London to meet with Nawaz Sharif,” the federal minister said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad, adding that PM Shehbaz would also be travelling for this purpose.
However, Marriyum downplayed the matter by saying that the process of consultation was not unusual among political parties. “This is not that big of an issue but those who have nothing to say and nothing to show for their performance have found a topic,” she added.
Earlier, senior PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi — who is already in London — confirmed the visit. Former prime minister Abbasi also said that PM Shehbaz and other party leaders had requested Nawaz to call a consultative meeting.
According to the sources, Nawaz has to consult the party leadership over some important issues he has reservations over and the PML-N is expected to make a “big decision”, which is why he rejected the proposal to have an online meeting.
The party sources further reported that during the meeting, a discussion regarding the strategy on the prices of petroleum products will be held with Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.
Nawaz, who is convicted in a corruption case, has been living in London on the pretext of ill health since November 2019, when the Lahore High Court had allowed him to leave the country for four weeks for medical treatment.
Last month, Nawaz had also conducted meetings with Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who was later appointed Pakistan’s federal minister.
The two had agreed to implement the left-out clauses of the Charter of Democracy (CoD), signed by the two parties some 16 years ago and to finalise a roadmap for the future with the consensus of all democratic forces.
