Maryam rubbishes claims of rift in PML-N

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz has rubbished talk of a rift in the party, insisting Shahbaz Sharif is a “very loyal brother” and would never part ways after Sheikh Rashid’s repeated his claim of an impending schism in the country’s biggest opposition party.

“People are talking about division in the PML-N. They should keep in mind Shahbaz Sharif is a very loyal brother to Nawaz Sharif and he will never part ways,” Maryam told reporters outside the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday. “Had Shahbaz Sharif wanted to part ways, he would have been prime minister today. But Shahbaz Sharif prefers his brother to premiership.” Her comments came after the railways minister claimed the political scenario of opposition parties will “completely be changed” after January. Rashid has been speaking about the PML-N breaking into “N” and “S (for Shahbaz)” factions in various television appearances for several weeks.

“There is a great rift between Maryam Nawaz, and Shahbaz Sharif for clinching party leadership and due to which, a vacuum is clearly visible in the politics of the Sharif family,” Rashid said in a television interview.

Commenting on a meeting of PML-N leaders with the military leadership, the minister said Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Asif and Shahbaz Sharif had held meetings with them. In the meeting, Rashid alleged that the leaders discussed politics rather than speaking about the affairs of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Answering a question, Maryam said Gilgit-Baltistan was a political issue which should be resolved in Parliament.

When asked about Nawaz Sharif’s status, Maryam said her father’s health warrants surgery, but he “cannot undergo operation due to coronavirus epidemic”. “Nawaz Sharif’s immune system is weak. His treatment through medicines is under way.”