Islamabad March 24 (TNS): Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said former premier Nawaz Sharif will lead the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the upcoming general election even if he is convicted in NAB references and jailed.
Talking to a private TV channel, Abbasi, however, brushed aside the conviction of the former premier calling the prospect mere speculations and assumptions and a figment of detractors’ imagination.
The prime minister said that the PML-N leadership was not afraid of going to jail and they have languished in jail in the past on concocted charges like the plane hijacking case.
“Even if Nawaz Sharif is jailed, he will pull the string and guide the party from there,” he said adding that previously he led the party from jail and they won elections while former dictator Pervez Musharraf was in power.
He said that jailing or other punishments could not banish Nawaz Sharif from politics and his political career is and will remain very much relevant.
The premier also said that efforts were afoot to install a consensus caretaker set up, after the incumbent government completes its terms, for conducting fair and transparent elections.
He said that if the political leadership fails to reach a consensus on the caretaker set up, the matter will ultimately be decided by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
While referring to the recently held Senate elections, he hinted that it was unlikely that a consensus will be developed with the PPP over the stopgap set up, as according to him, the opposition party played a trick in the polls.
The premier also ruled out that there was a clash among institutions and state organs.
