Shahbaz holds another meeting with Nisar

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif once again met disgruntled party leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Sunday, reportedly their third meeting in a week.

Geo News reported quoting sources that the two leaders discussed various party issues, including a strategy for the upcoming general elections and ways to strengthen the party, along with Shahbaz’s recent trip to Karachi and Peshawar.

Moreover, according to sources, the two party leaders discussed in the two-hour-long meeting the recent defection of the PML-N lawmakers from south Punjab. The rift between Chaudhry Nisar, a veteran party leader from Rawalpindi, and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has been brewing since July last year following Nawaz's disqualification and subsequent public offensive against his ouster.

On Saturday, Nisar, in a statement, said that it seems that the country's biggest problem is whether he gets a party ticket for the upcoming elections or not. Nisar's statement came after Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz criticised on Friday people “not hopeful of getting tickets from the PML-N” wanting to join the rival Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Maryam was likely responding to reports that Nisar may be joining the PTI. Earlier, Nisar had said he would not become part of any decision that makes Maryam the party's leader. Furthermore, in February, it was reported that Nawaz Sharif had parted ways with Nisar and decided to not extend an invitation to him for the Central Working Committee session. Nisar has also in the past publicly expressed reservations with senior PML-N leadership. He also refused to be part of a new cabinet after Nawaz, the then PML-N president, was disqualified as prime minister.

Nisar, at various occasions, advised Nawaz not adopt a confrontational approach following his disqualification, but the PML-N supremo ignored the advice and indirectly criticised Nisar as well.