PMN-L supremo Nawaz Sharif says 'negative comments' attributed to him about Pak PM Shehbaz ‘incorrect’

Pakistan’s former premier Nawaz Sharif has disassociated himself from “negative comments'' about his younger brother and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, terming them “misleading and incorrect”, amidst the simmering unrest within the ranks of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Sharif, who lives in London where he went for treatment in 2019, took to Twitter in the wake of mounting criticism against the coalition government, including the latest remarks by party leader Abid Sher Ali on Thursday.

''The negative comments attributed to me about PM Shahbaz Sharif are misleading and incorrect,'' Sharif, 72, said last night, expressing hope that Shehbaz, 70, would take the country out of the current problems.

''Sincere and tireless efforts by SS (Shehbaz Sharif) under the most challenging circumstances will bear fruit and he will steer the country out of the mess created by Imran Khan,'' said the PML-N supremo.

He, however, did not elaborate on what comments he was referring to, but it showed the rising tension within the party since it came to power, leading several coalition partners after the previous PTI government led by Imran Khan was toppled in April through a no-confidence vote.

The criticism stems from the debate whether it was a wise decision to remove Khan to make him a hero and took up the government when the economy was sinking and could only be resurrected through a slew of unpopular decisions that brought skyrocketing inflation.

Abid Ali, who is also a relative of Sharifs', severely criticised finance minister Miftah Ismail for his ''anti-people'' policies including a hike in electricity prices that put pressure on the masses.

''I have appealed to Mian Nawaz Sharif to intervene and get it (increase in electricity prices) reversed,'' he said at a press conference in the presence of other leaders who are considered more loyal to the elder Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

The friction was discernible as early as May 19 when Maryam, who is also Vice President of the party, had demanded at a rally that early elections should be held, and thus endorsed what their rival Khan had been demanding.

“Nawaz Sharif is listening to my speech in London. He will say goodbye to the government but not pass on the economic burden to the people of Pakistan,” she had said.

She again went public with her concern when the government increased petroleum prices on August 15 by tweeting that her father had strongly opposed the decision and left the meeting which debated the issue of increasing the prices.

It is also said Sharif was upset the way PML-N lost provincial by-elections last month that cost it the Punjab province. Khan’s PTI won 17 out of 20 seats and removed PML-N chief minister Hamza Shehbaz, son of the incumbent prime minister.

Reportedly, Sharif summoned Hamza to London for personal explanation to the dismal performance of the party.

''Hamza will have to satisfy his uncle for his poor performance being the CM and his father's flawed strategy in the face of Khan’s aggressive campaign during the by-polls,” a PML-N insider told the Dawn newspaper.

Many people believe that the PML-N would be trounced by the PTI whenever elections are held in the absence of Sharif. That is why his loyalists are mounting pressure on the Shehbaz government to make arrangements for his early comeback.

There are rumours that he may return as early as next month. It may be delayed but the PML-N would have to do something to bring him back before August 2023 when its current term expires to lead in the election campaign.

But the problem is that he is convicted and would have to directly go to jail soon after landing in Pakistan, which his supporters can ill afford.

Shehbaz would have to either tackle the worsening economic situation or make arrangements to safely bring his elder brother back to dodge the mounting pressure from his own party leaders who are closer to Maryam and her father, according to party insiders.