–Sources say PML-N president will wait for LHC’s verdict on Maryam Nawaz’s plea before planning comeback
–Chaudhry Nisar leaves for London, expected to meet Sharif brothers
Contrary to claims being made by some private news channels regarding the return of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif to the country “within the next few days”, Pakistan Today has learnt on Tuesday that the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly is unlikely to come back before March.
Informed sources have confided to the newspaper that the Sharif family is waiting for the Lahore High Court’s ruling on Feb 18, on a petition filed by Maryam Nawaz seeking one-time permission to fly to London to be with her ailing father, Nawaz Sharif.
“Nawaz has stopped Shehbaz from returning till the LHC verdict comes out. The doctors want to carry out his angiography at the earliest but Nawaz is adamant that he won’t undergo the procedure till his daughter is by his side,” the sources said.
Earlier, several news outlets had claimed that Shehbaz will return to Pakistan in the next few days to take charge of the party.
Meanwhile, speculations of a rapprochement between the Sharifs and disgruntled PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan were rife on Tuesday after it was reported that the latter has left for London to meet Nawaz Sharif.
Nisar flew to London via Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) flight PK-785 from Islamabad. He is likely to return to Pakistan on Feb 25.
According to reports, Nisar is also expected to undergo medical examination during the visit.
Nisar had distanced himself from PML-N after developing differences with the party’s supremo, Nawaz. The former interior minister had also refused to accept Maryam Nawaz as PML-N’s leader.
The senior politician had been advising the former prime minister to avoid a war of words with state institutions, cautioning him that it was not in the interest of the country.
The longtime party stalwart participated in the general elections of 2018 as an independent candidate but lost in NA-59 and NA-63, the latter being his home constituency.
Nisar was among the politicians who have consecutively been winning their seats since 1988. It was for the first time that he lost from his home constituency.
