Nawaz's interview fixer 'a major enemy’, says Shahbaz

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shahbaz Sharif while chairing the parliamentary party's meeting on Thursday once again came to the defence of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, saying that he was a patriotic Pakistani and whosoever arranged his interview was a big enemy.

"No one is more patriotic than Nawaz Sharif as in my presence, he rejected an offer of five billion dollars and carried out nuclear tests for the sake of national interest," Shahbaz Sharif told a gathering of over 110 PML-N parliamentarians. He said he was proud of working under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif.

When asked as to who arranged the interview, the party president said whoever arranged the interview of Nawaz Sharif with a controversial journalist was the biggest enemy. Responding to reservations of some of the parliamentarians, Shahbaz Sharif said he would talk to Nawaz Sharif to convince him that prior to speaking on sensitive issues, he should hold consultation with party leaders.

Some of the parliamentarians said they might be facing problems in the election campaign following Nawaz Sharif’s statement on the Mumbai incident. They said that previously, the issue of oath on Khatm-e-Nabuwwat (SAW) also created problems for the party.

According to sources, the parliamentarians, while raising objections, termed the statement on Mumbai attacks as unreasonable due to which the party suffered a lot ahead of general elections.

Shahbaz Sharif assured the members that he would place their reservations before Nawaz Sharif and a policy of the PML-N would also be devised on the issue. The party president said the PML-N would avoid the policy of confrontation. He said they would move towards the campaign for general elections with wise strategy and wisdom.

“The masses will repose their confidence on the basis of our performance which is better than other governments in provinces,” he said, adding that facing all odds, the PML-N was still the most popular political party of the country.

On the occasion, Shahbaz Sharif also unleashed criticism on the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for perpetrating state terrorism in Indian Held Kashmir (IHK), saying that he deserved no concessions.

As some members demanded the return of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to party's decision-making process, Shahbaz said he must be busy somewhere and that was why he could not turn up at the meeting.