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Thursday July 17, 2025

PML-N undecided on Maryam’ proposal to resign from assemblies

By Noor Aftab
December 07, 2020

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is still undecided about announcing resignations from National and provincial assemblies in Lahore’s public meeting, on the proposal floated solely by the party vice president, Maryam Nawaz, sources told The News here on Sunday.

The move could so far be considered the biggest political initiative of her political career.

“At the moment, Maryam Nawaz, who has become a crowd-puller for the party, is trying to muster support within the party on her proposal to announce resignations from the assemblies.

“On the other hand, some senior party members maintain that this decision can only be made jointly through the platform of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM),” added the sources.

The sources close to the Sharif family confided to this correspondent that “Maryam Nawaz first discussed the proposal with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and then she floated it within the party ranks. But Nawaz Sharif is yet to give his words over this proposal.”

A senior PML-N member told this correspondent “As far as I know, Nawaz Sharif has not taken any decision over resignations from the assemblies, and if he does so then the party will wholeheartedly support it.”

The sources said Maryam Nawaz held a 90-minute meeting with PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz at Jati Umra in which she was told that let Nawaz Sharif take decision over the resignations issue.

They said Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is a strong supporter of tendering resignations and he has already discussed the issue with Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif.

The sources said Maryam Nawaz is not in favour of any in-house change and she wants party to exert political pressure to pave the way for fresh general election, a stance that is believed to have been taken by Nawaz Sharif in the first instance.

Muhammad Zubair, spokesman for the party supremo Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, has already stated that the PML-N had yet not taken any decision to resign from the National and provincial assemblies.

When this correspondent contacted former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, he listened to all the questions, but refused to offer any comments for unknown reasons.